UK serious about energy efficiency

UK government has launched a new strategy entitled the ‘Energy Efficiency Strategy’ that aims to save the equivalent of 22 power stations-worth of energy by 2020. Published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the Strategy “is aimed at changing the way energy is used in sectors such as housing, transport and manufacturing over the coming decades.”

The Strategy also includes immediate actions that the government hopes will help “kick start a revolution in UK energy efficiency.” Some aspects of the strategy include: £39 million to fund five centres examining business and household energy demand. The five End Use Energy Demand Centres, funded by the Research Councils UK and project partners and led by leading universities, will look at what drives energy demand and how to change future behaviour. 

An energy efficiency labelling trial with John Lewis. DECC and John Lewis will introduce a product-labelling trial next year that shows the lifetime running costs of household appliances. A similar trial in Norway showed that this information led to consumers purchasing goods that are more energy efficient.

A drive on financing energy efficiency for business and the public sector. As well as a guide to help public sector organisations cut their energy use, the government will fund a nationwide rollout of RE:FIT, the Mayor of London’s award winning programme to improve public sector energy efficiency. The government is also working with ENWORKS in the North West to understand how best to finance and upgrade to more energy-efficient equipment in commercial and manufacturing businesses.