Ministers today said that they will continue with their fight against fuel poverty, as Environment Secretary Hilary Benn holds meetings with energy suppliers and the home insulation industry to discuss how to speed up work on increasing energy efficiency in the UK’s homes. The pledge comes as Defra and BERR jointly published the Sixth Annual Progress Report for the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, and follows the recent announcement of a £1 billion Home Energy Saving Programme to increase fuel efficiency and help for vulnerable households.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: “Since that announcement the Government has launched a major advertising campaign to encourage energy efficiency and advise people of the assistance available. This has resulted in almost 57,000 calls to our Act on CO2 helpline in the fortnight since the announcement. This is triple the number of calls normally received, so clearly people are responding to rising fuel bills. Today I met with energy suppliers and the home insulation industry to stress the need for all of us to work together as fast as possible to make more homes energy efficient, and to discuss with them the opportunities for bringing forward insulation activity so the maximum number of people are able to benefit this winter.”

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2 October 2008
© Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (National)

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is decrying the demise of energywatch as the watchdog shuts down this week. Despite opposition from both politicians and the FSB, the watchdog officially closes tomorrow (Wednesday 1st October) leaving small businesses with little awareness of where to turn. With over 30,000 calls from small businesses received every year, energywatch is a familiar brand to many business owners, but it will now be merged, alongside Postwatch and the National Consumer Council, into Consumer Focus, the advice and support organisation, which only offers a limited service to small firms. A recent FSB snap poll revealed that 57 per cent have made complaints to their energy companies. Thanks to FSB lobbying, an Energy Ombudsman will be available for complaints from small businesses, but there is poor awareness of the new arrangements.

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2 October 2008
© FSB

Energy Trends and Quarterly Energy Prices publications are published today 25 September by the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform. Energy Trends covers statistics on energy production and consumption, in total and by fuel, and provides an analysis of the year on year changes. The September edition of Energy Trends also includes articles on: “Renewable energy in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England in 2007″ and “CHP in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England in 2007″. Quarterly Energy Prices covers prices to domestic and industrial consumers, prices of oil products and comparisons of international fuel prices.

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25 September 2008
© Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (National)

Arts Council England has developed a self-assessment toolkit for arts organisations to help them implement an effective energy management programme. Such a programme can reduce energy usage and carbon emissions, potentially reducing energy costs by up to 20%. The toolkit consists of a number of modules that identify energy efficiency opportunities, develop good energy management practices and set up an action plan. In addition the tool will allow registered users to track their energy performance over time using relevant performance indicators.

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22 September 2008
© Arts Energy

Funding of more than £700,000 to empower communities across Scotland to take action to tackle climate change was announced today. The first tranche of projects supported through the Climate Challenge Fund, to help drive community-led action to reduce emissions, include: Supporting a village-wide energy efficiency scheme, to survey every property and provide free insulation where required. Developing a community heat and power scheme, to provide more cost effective energy. Promoting the use of locally sustainable powered electric vehicles in rural areas. Converting a local leisure centre to more energy efficient lighting. Providing cycling training for young people to encourage more sustainable and active travel.

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18 September 2008
© LGA

A major television advertising campaign to encourage energy efficiency has been launched today as a surge in the number of advice line calls suggests that large numbers of people are keen to take up a Government scheme to help them cut their heating bills. The television adverts, which will screen from tonight, follow the announcement by the Government last week of a £1 billion package offering assistance to householders to make their homes more energy efficient. The adverts made by top British film director Shane Meadows focus on the efforts of a dad to get his family to cut down on their energy use, cutting their bills and their CO2 emissions as a result. Statistics from the Energy Saving Trust’s ACT ON CO2 advice line show that since Thursday’s announcement phone calls have more than quadrupled, with people seeking information on how to take up the offers. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: “Last week we set out assistance to help people cut their energy bills permanently. We now need to do all we can to ensure they take up this help. This advert is part of that drive.
I am encouraged that following last week’s announcement, people are looking to take action to cut their fuel bills and save energy at the same time. We now need to build on that enthusiasm.” Around £560 million of the £1 billion adds to the existing energy efficiency programme CERT (Carbon Emissions Reduction Target), which funds subsidised improvements such as loft and cavity wall insulation. Homes with one or more members over the age of 70 and eligible low income households qualify, subject to survey, for these measures at no cost.

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17 September 2008
© Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (National)

Around £1.5 million of funding for a three year research project to examine the feasibility of short rotation forestry as a viable renewable energy source was announced today by Defra. The project will establish a number of sites where intensive research will be carried out and operational-scale plots will be planted. The species will include both native and naturalised broadleaved trees along with other species with the potential to be used for biomass, such as eucalyptus. The plots will be monitored to establish the environmental impacts and sustainability of short rotation forestry as a renewable energy source. Forestry Commission England will work closely with Defra to set up the project which will provide ongoing monitoring and scientific data on hydrology, carbon balance, economic viability, biodiversity, and possible environmental risks such as the impact of the project on landscape and biodiversity. Monitoring and evaluation will also be linked to the results of short rotation forestry trials in Scotland which are currently being established.

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17 September 2008
© Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (National)

Scotland is in line to secure £321 million in energy investment over the next three years to help households reduce fuel bills. The energy companies have pledged to move quickly to increase spend in Scotland from the £3.36 billion fund created to achieve the GB-wide Carbon Emissions Reductions Target (CERT). CERT is an initiative that places an obligation on companies to provide households with subsidised energy efficiency measures, such as cavity wall and loft insulation, energy efficient appliances and low energy light bulbs. Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell chaired the first meeting of the Scottish CERT Strategy Steering Group last week, bringing together key players from energy companies to help boost energy efficiency investment north of the Border.
 
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14 September 2008
© Scottish Government

Passenger Focus, the independent rail passenger watchdog, will be taking a double decker bus to the Labour party conference this year to highlight the announcement that it will become the bus and coach passenger watchdog for England from 2009. The Passenger Focus bus, fitted with a large billboard poster, will be found on Station Approach, Manchester (outside Manchester Piccadilly station) on Tuesday 23rd September from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Passengers, politicians and other stakeholders are encouraged to visit and put their views across directly to Passenger Focus.

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15 September 2008
© GMCVO

New entrants to farming, renewable energy, forestry and farm business projects are among the first to receive funding from Scotland’s innovative rural investment programme. Eighty one proposals have been awarded funding totalling £5.9 million under the Rural Priorities scheme and successful applicants will be notified shortly. Rural Priorities is part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP), the aims of which include the sustainable economic development of Scotland’s rural communities. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead said: “I am absolutely delighted to see Rural Priorities starting to bear fruit. These projects empower rural communities and put them in charge of their own destiny. The proposals are of the highest quality and show there is real appetite among communities to become part of Scotland’s rural revolution. Those that have been successful represent a hugely diverse range of activities, including the expansion and modernisation of a dairy business in Tayside.
On the forestry side, the green light has been given to a project that will contribute to the restoration of a 40 acre site of ancient woodland in the Highlands, which includes the protection of an archaeological site. I am also particularly pleased to see a number of excellent renewable energy projects approved, including the installation of a biomass boiler on an organic farm on Mull and a wood chip production and supply business in Grampian.”

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12 September 2008
© Scottish Government