The Federation of Master Builders has warned that energy efficiency retrofits are falling down the government’s list of priorities following the “alarming” decision to scrap the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Brian Berry, chief executive at the FMB, commented through a statement issued the day after DECC was abolished and its remit rolled into a new department; the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
New secretary of state for BEIS Greg Clark has insisted that energy and climate change are important facets of his role, however Berry said that in dissolving DECC, new prime minister Theresa May had gone further than her predecessor David Cameron who once famously instructed officials to “cut the green crap” from the country’s budget.
“This means that there will be no Cabinet-level minister championing climate change issues at the highest level of government, which is bound to result in less emphasis and less action… This matters because for May’s newly-formed government to side-line its green policies would be to sacrifice their numerous economic benefits,” he said.
Berry continued by stating that May should make energy efficiency retrofits an investment priority due to their potential to have knock-on benefits for jobs and growth, a promise which he said would be “enormous”.
“A programme to make British buildings more energy efficient would generate £8.7 billion of net benefits. This is comparable to the benefits delivered by the first phase of HS2, Crossrail, smart meter roll out, or investment in new roads. And unlike these large infrastructure projects, work to improve our existing buildings is not at the mercy of the lengthy and protracted planning process – work could start tomorrow.”
Many institutions have warned the government over a looming energy efficiency policy gap, criticism which has been repeatedly asserted throughout various energy and climate change select committee sessions.
There remains doubt over the future of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme due to the UK’s vote to leave the European Union last month, and the government has yet to reveal finer details of the replacement for the Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme.
Energy efficiency regulations which will force commercial landlords and property owners to maintain a particular EPC rating or face having their sale or lease blocked, however these do not come into force in England and Wales until 2018 and property consultancy Tuffin Ferraby Taylor has warned that Scottish landlords are unprepared for the changes.