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Insulation

Volume 174: debated on Tuesday 12 June 1990

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To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 5 June, Official Report, column 409, (a) who estimated that 5·5 TWh of electricity could be saved, (b) whether this estimate has been published, (c) which insulation measures were included and (d) what other estimates made during the last two years on potential savings from better insulation are known to his Department.

The estimate was derived from a publication by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) entitled "Energy Use in Buildings and Carbon Dioxide Emissions"—BR 170 HMSO ISBN 085125 4365, £25. It is estimated in table 11 at page 36 that cost-effective insulation measures applied to houses in the United Kingdom would save 23·3 PJ of electricity corresponding to 6·5 TWh. The figure has been scaled down to 5·5 TWh to cover England and Wales only.The recommended cost-effective insulation measures covered all existing houses and assumed that:

  • (i)80 per cent. of all houses with cavity walls would be insulated.
  • (ii) Lofts with less or equal to 25mm insulation would be insulated up to 150mm.
  • (iii) All houses would be draughtproofed.
  • (iv) All hot water tanks with less than 50mm insulation would be insulated up to 80mm.
  • (v) All windows would be double-glazed when the existing window frames need to be replaced.
  • My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be writing to the hon. Member and will supply a list of publications, produced over the past two years, covering the potential for energy saving through better insulation of the housing stock.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the number of community insulation projects and the number of participant workers and trainees at end-year in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and at the latest available date for each region, Wales, Scotland and Great Britain as a whole.

    The figures requested in respect of 1987 and 1989 are as follows:

    Number of draughtproofing jobs completed
    19871989
    East Midlands10,23610,245
    London7,8391,353
    North East13,8679,983
    North West16,12522,230
    Scotland30,34937,154
    South East6,7284,942
    South West9,4894,368
    Wales15,01713,371
    West Midlands11,95712,051
    Yorkshire and Humberside17,10015,186
    Total138,707130,883
    Neighbourhood Energy Action advises that equivalent information in respect of 1988 is not available, and that reliable information in respect of early months of 1990 for comparison with the same periods in previous years is not yet available.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the number of draughtproofing jobs completed so far in the current year and completed in the equivalent periods of 1987, 1988 and 1989 for each region, Wales, Scotland and Great Britain as a whole; and what were the full-year figures for 1987, 1988 and 1989.

    Available information in respect of the last three complete years is as follows:

    Number of operating projects at period end
    198719881989
    East Midlands362528
    London34814
    North East251718
    North West484145
    Scotland663077
    South East472123
    South West341516
    Wales472736
    West Midlands502226
    Yorkshire and Humberside342224
    Total421228307
    Number of participating workers/trainees at period end
    19871989
    East Midlands505271
    London61731
    North East493253
    North West1,051672
    Scotland978780
    South East566116
    South West534190
    Wales1,047335
    West Midlands775314
    Yorkshire and Humberside679353
    Total7,2453,315
    Neighbourhood Energy Action advises that information on numbers of participating workers/trainees at end 1988 is not available, and that reliable information in respect of the early months of 1990 for comparison with the same period in previous years is not yet available.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what was the spending on the community insulation programme in each year from 1983–84 and including estimated spending in 1989–90 for (a) the London borough of Camden and (b) the London borough of Islington;(2) what was the number of community insulation projects and the number of participant workers and trainees at end-year 1987, 1988 and 1989 and at the latest available date for

    (a) the London borough of Camden and (b) the London borough of Islington.

    There are no community insulation projects currently operating in the London boroughs of Camden and Islington. Detailed information on projects under the community programme which served those areas prior to 1988 is not available.