SE² joins call for Clean Growth

SE2 has joined over 30 energy efficiency businesses and organisations in an open letter to Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark, urging him to commit to an ambitious energy efficiency drive as part of the forthcoming Clean Growth Plan.

The Clean Growth Plan is an opportunity to provide clarity for businesses in the energy efficiency, heating and construction sectors, and seize the economic benefits.   The letter urges the Government to include:

• A long-term target for all homes to have an energy performance rating of C or above by 2035. This would provide a clear direction of travel for the sector, and enable investment across the supply chain
• The introduction of minimum standards on efficiency for existinghomes, enforced at the point of sale, and backed up by incentives (for example, implemented through council tax or stamp duty), grants and zero interest loans.
• All new buildings to be ‘nearly zero energy’ by 2020, as specified under the EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive. As the UK goes through the process of leaving the EU, these standards or higher must be incorporated into UK law. This would ensure that we do not face costly retrofit in future years and create certainty for industry.
• A clear strategy and policy to accelerate the roll out of low carbon heat, particularly electric heat pumps, in buildings off the gas grid to 2020 and beyond.
• Support the growth of district heat networks by building on theHeat Network Investment Project through the 2020s and providing a long-term investment framework to facilitate lower cost capital.
• A local authority-led approach to heat decarbonisation, to ensure we have a long-term plan for all buildings that coordinates action on energy efficiency and low carbon heat.

The letter received considerable press coverage, including The Independent