It’s the Size of the Reduction Target, Stupid! The Need for a Wholesale Re-Think of Energy Efficiency Policy in UK Housing

Panel: Market Transformation: Taking Efficiency Mainstream

Author:
Gavin Killip, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford

Abstract

Energy efficiency programmes in the UK have traditionally sought to promote individual measures (eg loft insulation, central heating upgrades) which meet ‘cost effectiveness' criteria but, even if they were to achieve 100% uptake, these measures do not have the potential to deliver sufficient savings to reach a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, even less an 80% reduction target. However, the technical potential is substantial if the cost-effectiveness criterion is ignored and a more integrated, holistic approach is taken to achieving low-carbon retrofits.

Lessons can be learned from the successful transformation of stocks of appliances in Europe but buildings present significant challenges: compliance with codes is poor for newbuild; codes for existing buildings are at a very early stage of development; quality of installation is key but hard to monitor or enforce; products need to work together as part of an integrated design, while piecemeal interventions can undermine performance overall.

Tackling these problems will require policy interventions in several domains simultaneously: training and skills; financial incentives; more research on the robustness of lowcarbon building technologies and systems; development of suitable standards (including the choice of suitable metrics). An ambitious and relatively costly investment in the housing stock can achieve several policy goals - not just climate change mitigation, but also adaptation to unavoidable climate impacts, improvements in health, increased energy security, and the creation of new jobs and business opportunities.