Reduction
in climate changing gases
The public should demand that our politicians:
- Tackle climate change by improving domestic energy efficiency by 20% by 2010 and a further 20% by 2020. Introduce energy auditing for all homes.
Why?
The world’s climate is changing. We are already seeing dramatic
changes in our weather as shown by recent and frequent floods. The impacts
of global climate change would be reduced and thousands of jobs created
if government invested more in energy efficiency measures such as home
insulation and home energy auditing.
Background
The homes we live in have a huge effect on the environment. Every day
we consume far more energy in our homes than is needed. Because of inefficient
heating, poor building fabric and inadequate insulation, a great deal
of energy is simply wasted. Consequently, Scotland’s housing sector
alone is responsible for around 12% of Scotland’s carbon dioxide
emissions – the main climate changing gas.
Improving home energy efficiency would not only help reduce climate change, it would take people out of poverty by reducing their fuel bills and would improve the health of many thousands of Scots. Currently as many as 700,000 (30%) of Scottish households live in fuel poverty. Many of these people will be living in cold, damp homes which can lead to premature death, asthma and other respiratory and coronary health problems.
Currently the Executive is commited to reducing the number of houses with poor energy efficiency by 20% by 2006 but this may only improve 30,000 homes and needs to go further.
Thousands of sustainable jobs could be created if the Government gave homes and business incentives to reduce their energy consumption by improving the efficiency of their buildings.
Energy efficiency and health
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In Scotland 4,331 people, mainly the elderly, died last winter due in large part to the poor conditions of their homes.
-
As many as 700,000 (30%) Scottish households currently live in fuel poverty.
- Throughout the UK, treating the symptoms of fuel poverty costs the NHS £1 billion each year.
Energy efficiency and the economy
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The average householder could easily save around £200 a year on their fuel bill if they carry out a home energy check and implement the recommendations
-
An estimated 81,000 direct and indirect jobs could be created in the UK through a co-ordinated programme of energy efficiency schemes and training.
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Manufacturing and installing energy efficiency measures would create more jobs than supplying the energy in the first place!
More energy facts
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Scotland’s housing sector alone is responsible for around 12% of Scotland’s carbon dioxide emissions
-
The introduction of the energy auditing of homes would result in reductions of over 145,000 tonnes of carbon in the first ten years and save hundreds of pounds for low-income households.
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17% of the Scottish housing stock has a “poor “energy rating.
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60% of those living in homes with a “poor” energy rating had an income of less than £200 a week.
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More than 9 out of 10 homes in Scotland fail to meet the 1996 Building Standards. At our current building rate it will take well over 100 years to bring Scotland’s housing stock up to scratch.
Sources: Scottish Executive, Scottish House Condition Survey, LEEP, Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE), Energy Savings Trust,