Tower Hamlets Missing Energy Targets

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 6th Sep 2005

Local councils across London are struggling to bring about energy efficiency improvements in line with government targets, says Baroness Sarah Ludford, London's Liberal Democrat Euro-MP. Tower Hamlets is amongst 24 Boroughs falling behind on their energy reduction targets.

Under a ten-year old law sponsored by then Liberal Democrat MP Diana Maddock, councils have to ensure that energy use in households in their area reduces by 30% by 2010. This means improving energy efficiency by 2% a year if they are to meet the deadline.

But the majority of local authorities across London are set to miss the target. Latest figures published this month by the Department of the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show that only 9 out of the 33 councils in London are currently on course (see figures below).

But Sarah Ludford says that councils should be given greater financial or legal incentives to take action so as to help individuals save energy. She criticised the recent decision by housing minister Yvette Cooper to go easy on builders by cancelling stricter energy requirements through measures such as better roof insulation on refurbished homes, and delay standards for new homes until next year.

Sarah Ludford MEP said:

"Once more we see a gap between rhetoric and result with this government. It claims to be a leader in tackling climate change, yet it has failed to help deliver energy efficiency in the home, one of the most effective ways of halting global warming."

"While several of London's local councils are to be congratulated on exceeding targets, the performance of many others is nothing short of shameful."

"The UK already lags way behind other EU countries like France and Austria in energy conservation. To be really serious about stopping global warming, the government must push local authorities to pull their socks up, and give them the means to do so."

The Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA), which originated as a Private Member's Bill, sponsored by Baroness Diana Maddock (then an MP), places an obligation on local authorities to reduce domestic energy consumption in their area by 30% over 15 years. The objectives of the Act are to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and hence help to combat climate change, while also reducing fuel poverty. To be on target for a 30% improvement in household energy levels, councils should now be achieving a 16% improvement over 1996.

Below are the latest DEFRA energy efficiency figures for every local council in London. See www.defra.gov.uk/environment/energy/heca95 for further information.

Authority Overall percentage improvement in domestic energy efficiency (01/04/96 - 31/03.2004)- As reported:

Barking and Dagenham 11.7

Barnet 15.7

Bexley 10.5

Brent 15.9

Bromley 12.9

Corporation of London 14.8

Camden 9.5

Croydon 18.3

Ealing 8.4

Enfield 5.0

Greenwich 17.9

Hackney 13.0

Hammersmith and Fulham 19.7

Haringey 18.3

Harrow 9.8

Havering 11.8

Hillingdon 15.4

Hounslow 12.1

Islington 19.5

Kensington and Chelsea 11.9

Kingston Upon Thames 15.3

Lambeth 15.2

Lewisham 16.7

Merton 17.7

Newham 25.2

Redbridge 15.0

Richmond Upon Thames 10.2

Southwark 14.9

Sutton 15.0

Tower Hamlets 14.8

Waltham Forest 13.6

Wandsworth 16.2

Westminster 7.0