ENERGY
SUPPLIERS URGE GOVERNMENT TO HELP CHANGE
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
29th March 2006
Britain’s six major energy suppliers
are today calling on government to increase
its efforts to change consumer behaviour
in the light of its announcement that it
is unlikely to meet its Climate Change targets[1].
The energy retail industry has already
spent £800 million on energy efficiency
measures over the last three years, which
avoided 15.5 million tones of carbon emissions.
Over the next three years, the sector is
expecting to spend a further £1.2
billion on energy efficiency measures in
households across the country.
“It’s crucial that people wake
up to the fact that energy is a precious
resource and the era of cheap energy is
coming to an end. We all need to do our
bit to make people more ‘energy aware’
while providing accessible information and
services that make it easy for people to
reduce their energy consumption”,
said Duncan Sedgwick, Chief Executive of
the Energy Retail Association.
A typical household can save hundreds of
pounds by become more energy efficient,
including:
Around 33% of heat lost through the walls
of a house. Installing cavity wall insulation
can save up to £120 on your annual
heating bill.
Laying a loft with 10 inches of insulation
can save up to £170 every year.
Replace light bulbs with energy saving bulbs
as each one can reduce your lighting costs
by up to £78 over the lifetime of
the bulb.
Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC
could save you around £30 per year.
Notes to editors:
The Energy Retail Association was established
in October 2003 is the only dedicated trade
association for Britain’s domestic
energy suppliers (British Gas, EDF Energy,
Powergen, RWE npower, Scottish Power, Scottish
and Southern Electric). All the main energy
suppliers operating in the domestic market
in Great Britain are members of the association.
The ERA was set up at the instigation of
the energy supply industry in order to identify
areas where the industry can work together
for the common good without competitive
advantage.
The energy retail industry has recently
set up the Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66
99) which can help people having difficulty
paying their electricity and gas bills.
Services include grants, free insulation,
energy efficiency advice, benefits assessment
and tailored payment schemes.
[1] DEFRA Climate Change
Review, 28 March 2006, target to reduce
carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2010
Niki Bowles, ERA Media and Communications
Manager on 0207 930 9181 or 07730 898 641
Russell Hamblin-Boone, ERA Head of Communitions
and Policy on 0207 930 9177 or 07810 374
110
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