Claire Thornhill speaks at Northern Ireland Fuel Poverty Coalition Conference on energy infrastructure

Claire Thornhill speaks at Northern Ireland Fuel Poverty Coalition Conference on energy infrastructure

Claire Thornhill, Manager in Frontier’s Energy Practice, presented today at the Northern Ireland Fuel Poverty Coalition Conference. She spoke about a ‘Buildings Energy Infrastructure Programme’ which aims at achieving major energy savings in UK homes.

Frontier published a report setting out the recommendations in October 2017. The report is built on the wide body of policy proposals that have been developed in recent years and proposes a package of policies to provide a coherent programme of actions to improve the energy performance of UK homes.

Key recommendations included:

  • A target for all homes to be brought up to an energy performance rating of C (on the A to G scale) by 2035, with all low-income households achieving a C rating by 2030
  • A requirement for new homes to be constructed to a zero-carbon standard by 2020
  • subsidies for all low-income home-owners to make energy efficiency renovations to their properties
  • A demonstrator programme to test the most attractive schemes to unlock able-to-pay households’ investment in energy saving renovations. This includes zero interest loans, low interest equity loans that can be paid back only after a home is sold and salary sacrifice schemes like those for childcare vouchers
  • Changes to ‘Stamp Duty’ to encourage renovations when people move home
  • Tax allowances for private landlords and 50% subsidies for social landlords to undertake energy efficiency renovations

Frontier Economics regularly advises clients on issues relating to energy, climate change and distributional issues.

For more information please contact us at media@frontier-economics.com, or call +44 (0)20 7031 7000.

 

Affordable Warmth, Clean Growth