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Heating

Volume 497: debated on Tuesday 13 October 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) if he will meet representatives of the heating controls industry to discuss the merits of establishing a joint Government-industry campaign to promote the energy efficiency benefits of heating controls; and if he will make a statement; (289899)

(2) what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to increase consumer awareness of the potential reduction in energy consumption of using domestic heating controls; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has taken a number of actions to increase consumer awareness of the benefits of using domestic heating controls. Our Building Regulations require a minimum set of controls to be installed when a boiler is replaced. In addition, we have ensured heating controls are an eligible measure under the obligation on energy suppliers to help households save carbon and energy and over 2 million heating controls have been distributed since 2005 through this scheme. The Energy Saving Trust (EST) includes the proper installation and use of heating controls as part of its core package of free energy efficiency advice to consumers, which DECC grant funds. The EST is also monitoring some advanced controls, as part of an extension to an on-going boiler performance project. More recently, the Government have acted to include Home Energy Advice as a qualifying measure under the existing supplier obligation. The Home Energy Advice package will be delivered to householders face to face in their home and encompasses a specific set of energy using behaviours, including how heating controls can be used more effectively to achieve energy savings.

Given this significant level of activity we would question the need for a joint Government-industry campaign to promote the benefits of heating controls further.