Cornwall Council
Home Energy Conservation Act report 2013
ACTION
EXAMPLE
i) LOCAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY AMBITIONS AND PRIORITIES
TIMING
Current statistics from DECC Fuel poverty 2010: sub-regional data
CO2 emissions
from domestic
(kt/Co2) est.
2005
2007
2009
2010
%
reduction
Cornwall
1,461
1,421
1,323
1,412
3.35%
South West
13,157
12,726
11,610
12,454
5%
UK
155,230
150,649
136,393
146,525
6%
Fuel Poverty
2006
2008
2009
2010
cumulative % of
households
17.6
21.4
25.6
19.1
 In September 2011 the Council became signatories to the
Covenant of Mayors, committing to meet and exceed the
European Union 20% CO2 reduction objective by 2020.
2020
 Our adopted ‘Sustainable Energy Action Plan for a Green
Cornwall’ (SEAP) sets a 30% energy reduction target from the
SEAP sectors, (including the domestic sector) by 2020 on 2009
levels.
2020
 Consideration will be given to signing up to the LGA ‘Climate
Local initiative’ in 2013.
2013
 Cornwall’s Private Sector Housing Condition Survey 2010:
identified the key features of Cornwall’s housing stock and
population compared with national averages.
 Cornwall suffers above average fuel poverty with some areas
exceeding 30%. We will work to reduce these levels by targeting
efforts towards those in high fuel poverty areas and to vulnerable
groups.
ii) MEASURES WE ARE TAKING TO RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT ENERGY EFFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENTS OF OUR RESIDENTIAL ACCOMODATION
Cornwall
 The new Cornish Housing Standard will be our new benchmark
Ongoing
Housing
Ltd
Green Deal
and ECO
Feed in
Tariffs
scheme
for the quality of our houses, raising the bar above the level
originally set by the Government’s Decent Homes Standard in
2001. The new standard will apply both to the Council’s existing
council housing stock of 10,700 homes, as well as to the new
homes Cornwall Housing plans to develop in the coming years.
 Our Cornish Housing Standard Affordable Warmth Strategy will
aim to improve the ability of its tenants to be able to afford their
fuel costs and therefore reduce the number of tenants who may
experience fuel poverty.
Ongoing
 The Feed in Tariff income from the solar pv installations will be
used to recruit two energy advisors to help and advise tenants on
the best way to use their heating appliances and how they can
reduce their energy bills. This will enable us to collect ‘real’ data
on fuel poverty.
2013
 As the officially endorsed ECO investment partner and Green
2013-2018
Deal provider for Cornwall, British Gas has ring-fenced a initial
£50m to deliver the ECO initiative in the first two years, as well as
help to access a further £50m of Green Deal funding.
 The programme will seek to offer loans provided by The Green
Deal Finance Company totaling c.£50m to private sector
residents, and will involve marketing, surveying, inspections,
customer engagement and the funding application process
through to installation. The programme will deliver a range of
Green Deal-eligible energy efficiency solutions to these
properties delivered by local businesses.
2013-2018
 Of the £50m ECO funding £32 million will be in the form of
Affordable Warmth funding which focuses on eligible private
customers. The remainder will be services utilised ECO Carbon
Saving Community Obligation (CSCO) budget which targets
housing in multiple deprivations focusing on the 15% poorest
post codes.
2013-2015
 Our Cornish Housing Standard Affordable Warmth Strategy
acknowledges ‘There is potential for installation of solar photo
voltaic systems to be installed and this will be considered in the
future Asset Strategy.’ Cornwall Housing has completed 151
domestic solar pv installations and three communal systems.
Ongoing
 We support the Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network
(WREN) Solar Club that provides competitively priced solar
panels to local homes and businesses through partnerships with
local installers. WREN raises awareness and local demand for
the technology, and endorses the partner installer. Similar
technology buying clubs will be set up for solar hot water,
biomass heating, and other appropriate technologies.
Ongoing
Renewable
Heat
Premium
Payment
 Within our Cornish Housing Standard Affordable Warmth
Strategy actions includes: ‘Install renewable energy heating
systems in off network gas areas where possible.’ Ground
source and air source heating systems have been installed and
performance is being monitored with encouraging feed back both
statistically and anecdotally from tenants.
Ongoing
Zero
Carbon
Homes
 Policy 14 of Cornwall’s draft Local Plan includes ‘ Take
advantage of any opportunities to minimise energy consumption,
with an emphasis on the fabric of buildings, for example
achieving high levels of insulation, use of natural lighting,
ventilation, heating and orientation. This should achieve at least
Zero Carbon new builds from 2016 for domestic buildings and
from 2019 for non-domestic buildings. ‘
Ongoing
 Following on from the draft Local Plan our Planning and
Regeneration Service are developing a Cornwall Residential
Design Standard to provide clear guidance to developers on a
range of issues including opportunities to minimise energy
consumption, achieving Zero Carbon and decentralised low
carbon heat networks.
2013-2014
EPCs
 Within our Cornwall Housing Standards Affordable Warmth
Strategy targets for improvement include :
 Achieve a combined SAP average of 60 for all properties.
 All properties to have a minimum Energy Performance rating
of E or higher by April 2013.
 Properties that are below SAP 39 Band E will be improved to
a SAP level of 65 where practicable within budget.
 The Council is aware that data is available from Landmark
regarding the energy efficiency of residential accommodation
within Cornwall. The Council will consider the process for
gaining bulk access to the published EPC data and whether it
can make use of the data.
2018
2013
2014
2013
Improving
standards
in the
private
rental
sector
 We aim to improve standards in the Private Rented Sector with
the introduction of new systems of accreditation and where
necessary additional regulation. Work on this project will be
carried out during 2013 to determine the most appropriate course
of action to take. A primary focus of the project will be to ensure
that the new systems and regulation put in place reduce the
number of category 1 hazards (Housing Act 2004 Part 1) relating
to excess cold and drive private sector landlords towards
improving the thermal efficiency of their properties. It is hoped that
a strong partnership can be formed with both landlords and
tenants in the private rented sector similar to ensure affordable
warmth for increasing numbers of private sector tenants.
2013-2014
Smart
 As the officially endorsed ECO investment partner and Green
2013-2018
meters
Mains gas
connection
programme
Deal provider for Cornwall, British Gas will ‘promote the benefits
of Smart Meters and facilitate their installation’. They will also
create “smart” tariffs for Cornwall which will help develop a smart
grid across Cornwall – designed to work in conjunction with the
Cornwall Together scheme.
 The Private Sector Housing Condition Survey 2010, identified just
under a half (47.7%) of dwellings are off the mains gas network.
We are working to achieve a conversion from fuels such as oil to
natural gas for many thousands of properties across Cornwall.
This will include Cornwall Housing, as well as a number of other
registered providers.
2013-2017
iii) MEASURES WE PROPOSE TO COST EFFECTIVELY DELIVER ENERGY EFFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENTS IN RESIDENTIAL ACCOMODATION BY USING AREA BASED/STREET BY STREET
ROLL OUT.
 The Private Sector Housing Condition Survey 2010 identified
2,400 Park Homes, which represented 1.1% of the overall private
sector stock. We are retrofitting 60 park homes, targeted at
vulnerable clients on protected sites that would benefit from
insulation measures. The pilot explores the viability of running
future park home insulation programmes.
2013-2014
 We have completed a pilot retrofit project with 78 typical Cornish
homes to inform future Green Deal and ECO delivery. Monitoring
continues and findings will be reported early 2014.
2012-2014
 We will work with a wide range of partners including British Gas,
Cornwall’s officially endorsed ECO investment partner and Green
Deal provider, Community Energy Plus and registered social
landlords to leverage maximum uptake of both ECO and Green
Deal and to identify the right customers in the right areas.
2013-2018
 Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network’s (WREN) objective is to
reduce the Wadebridge area’s energy consumption by 5% by
2015 and tackle the area’s high fuel poverty rates. In August 2012
WREN launched a town wide insulation program to ensure the
Wadebridge area achieves maximum benefit from the remaining
funded subsidised insulation offers, and is well positioned to
secure future insulation offers under the ECO (Energy Company
Obligation) scheme and the Green Deal.
2012-2015
 We are leading a Winter Wellness multi-partner project funded by
the Department of Health that aims to reduce the levels of
preventable winter deaths. Close co-ordinated working provides
joined up practical advice on how to alleviate fuel poverty and to
encourage take up of grants available for insulation and heating to
make homes warmer and healthier.
2013 – ongoing
 We have secured £331k DECC fuel poverty funding that has
enable 149 vulnerable households to benefit from insulation and
heating improvements, delivered in conjunction with free advice
2013
on saving energy, tariffs, switching, benefits eligibility, fuel debt,
healthy indoor temperatures, damp, mould and condensation.
 The Cornwall Together collective purchasing group ran a street
campaign covering towns and villages most severely affected by
fuel poverty across the whole of Cornwall, with an estimated
combined population of roughly 100,000 households i.e. 50% of
the entire population. Information provided to these 100,000
households through the Cornwall Together campaign included
information and signposting to Winter Wellness and the Green
Deal.
2013
iv) TIME FRAME FOR DELIVERY AND NATIONAL AND LOAL PARTNERS
 Our adopted ‘Sustainable Energy Action Plan for a Green
Cornwall’ (SEAP) sets a 30% energy reduction target from the
SEAP sectors, (including the domestic sector) by 2020 on 2009
levels.
2020
 As the officially endorsed ECO investment partner and Green
Deal provider for Cornwall, British Gas will establish their
Customer Operations Team in Cornwall creating new job
opportunities for local people to join British Gas. In addition they
will deliver the measures offered under the Scheme through
locally recruited people and businesses to enable the highest
levels of investment in Cornwall’s economy.
2013-2018
 Community Energy Plus is a key partner in delivering the ECO
obligation, and will ensure that we can access the most
vulnerable and fuel poor households. Community Energy Plus
provide a one stop helpline that diagnoses people’s needs and
refers them for home energy advice visits, insulation and heating
grants and to partner organisations for additional help.
Ongoing