The LDA have today announced details of their programme to retrofit London’s homes with energy efficiency measures, and have allocated £9.5m additional funds. Darren Johnson believes that this scheme could be a missed opportunity for London.
"The example of Kirklees Council has shown us that the success of their scheme lay in its simplicity, as insulation was provided free of charge to all. In contrast, the Mayor’s scheme for London requires the majority of households to pay for insulation, and will involve a process of means testing to determine eligibility. This ignores the lessons learnt and I fear it will impact upon the success of this scheme.
"The £9.5m allocation is of course welcome, but reflects the fact that the initial proposals were completely underfunded. In contrast Kirkless Council, which is equivalent to a single London borough, invested £10m in 2007 to provide free home insulation for residents.
"As this is the flagship scheme for reducing domestic emissions the target of 1.25m tonnes reduction is not ambitious enough, given that domestic emissions in London are 16.9m tonnes. If the Mayor is serious about meeting his 60% CO2 reduction target he must go further than the ‘quick wins’ of energy efficient lightbulbs and provide all Londoners with free home insulation"
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. CO2 emissions data for 2006, taken from Defra publication ‘Local Authority CO2 emissions estimates 2006’, 18th September 2008
2. The LDA scheme will provide ‘easy measures’ such as energy efficient lightbulbs and draught proofing free to all residents. Insulation will be provided free to those on benefits, and at a subsidised rate to other households.