Energy supply companies are required to meet carbon reduction targets by promoting the installation of energy efficiency measures under CERT. Insulation measures make up a significant percentage (62 per cent.) of energy suppliers’ progress towards their targets to date (as end December 2008). We are currently consulting on expanding the CERT by 20 per cent. and on extending a CERT mechanism beyond March 2011 to 2012. We hope that these two proposals, in combination with work to improve the exchange of information between the insulation industry and energy suppliers, should help to generate greater continuity and confidence in the market and lead to appropriate investment.
The Government’s package of policies and measures to tackle energy efficiency is reviewed on a regular basis to take account of latest evidence and data. We first published our Energy Efficiency Action Plan in 2004 and this was revised in 2007. The Government also undertook evaluations of their energy efficiency strategy during development of the 2006 Climate Change programme and the 2007 Energy White Paper.
The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy, currently under consultation, has provided a fresh opportunity to revisit our energy efficiency strategy. In doing so, our aim is to ensure the policies we put in place are capable of delivering the increased challenges over the next decade, particularly in light of the new legally-binding target to cut UK greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent. by 2050.