Future Climate

At a super interesting @futureclimate event on retrofitting flats. 50% of London homes and 21% nationally.

It's a wrap! Thank you to all speakers, participants and attendees at our event yesterday to launch the first detailed low carbon retrofit guidance for privately owned blocks of flats. Thank you also to our partners @LDN_gov, @CharitableMcs and @futureclimate 🍀

We are hosting an event with our partners @LDN_gov, @CharitableMcs and @futureclimate, to launch the first detailed low carbon retrofit guidance for privately owned blocks of flats. Full details and registration link: eventbrite.co.uk/e/low-carbon-w…

Govt wants 600k heat pumps sold per year by 2028. One way to drive the market: exempt the cost of electricity used in home heat pumps from the env. and social levies we all pay on our elec bills. New policy thinking from @janrosenow with green alliance. greenallianceblog.org.uk/2021/09/16/reb…

The quoted @beisgovuk response to the important Guardian story on ECO4 is somewhat disingenuous. Plans for ECO4 are not just to replace existing inefficient gas boilers but to install 20k whole new gas central heating systems. theguardian.com/environment/20…

And a fundamental point: whether basing ECO on a SAP-based current energy cost rating is really in the best long term interest of low income households, as we decarbonise heating? (5/5)

And how activity is going to be more evenly distributed around the country - you're 6 times more likely to have benefited from ECO if you live in Bradford than if you live in Croydon. London & Manchester should have same flexibility as Scotland to create city-wide flexible progs?

18% of households who benefit from current ECO have had to contribute to costs (on average £400) - there is no discussion in this consultation of how customer contributions will be limited/managed (3/5)

The capacity of local authorities to play such a huge part in delivering the scheme (with 50% of the target planned to be delivered through LA flexibility) - needs a parallel local authority retrofit capacity building prog? (2/5)

So finished my work on ECO4 consultation and really hope other people are also commenting on some of the things the government HAVEN'T asked about: (1/5)

Everyone & their dog wrote a blog on Green Homes Grant, but UK energy twitter seems silent on the govt's plans for the far bigger Energy Company Obligation. ECO is £4bn for home energy efficiency: a consultation on a major scheme redesign closes Friday. gov.uk/government/con…

Heating people.. I've heard about flats which are electrically heated and use gas cooking but could not be easily converted to gas central heating because the diameter of gas pipework inside the block is not wide enough. Does anyone know how prevalent this is?

Govt consultation on UK's biggest energy efficiency scheme ECO4 plans for 20,000 new gas boilers fitted 2022-26 in homes currently w no central heating (and which would thus be ideal for new renewable heating system?) Surely time govt support moved away from new fossil fuel heat?

Improving ventilation is essential to make a return to work as safe as possible, but this can lead to more air pollution. Here’s how building managers can prevent a rise in energy costs and pollution while protecting people's health. globalcleanair.org/business/as-uk…

As people return to the office, building managers can help protect our health and keep air pollution down. edf.org/ZBhb

⌛️@theCCCuk says UK is at greater risk from #ClimateChange now than it was 5 yrs ago. Since then 570k homes have been built that aren't resilient to future high temps 🌡️ With a target🎯 to build 300k homes a yr Government & Business must act to ensure they're climate resilient.

This is very timely given beis are currently consulting on a mandatory real energy use labelling scheme for large commercial buildings, based on the Australian NABERS programme.

Our new research @EnvDefenseFund found that the local nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution produced by a single standard outdoor gas heater at 5 hours per day for a year is approximately the same as that produced by a typical gas-heated home for a year. globalcleanair.org/files/2021/03/…

@jenniviitanen Thanks Jenni!

Strongly recommend keeping an eye on @futureclimate research for timely & relevant topics. Also, invest in a padded jacket for those outdoor socialising events.