Govt 'could end fuel poverty by 2050'

28 November 2007

The government has been told it is possible to cut carbon emissions from UK homes by 80 per cent and end fuel poverty by 2050 if it commits to policy changes.

A study commissioned by Friends of the Earth and The Co-operative Bank and carried out by the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute outlined a four-pronged approach to reducing the domestic emissions that make up 27 per cent of the UK's carbon footprint.

It recommends offering financial incentives to people to cut their energy use, reforming the energy market to reward households that fit low or zero carbon technology, and introducing and enforcing minimum energy efficiency standards for homes.

The report also suggests that local authorities should help to eradicate fuel poverty by paying to upgrade the walls, windows and roofs of homes in areas where there are many fuel poor households.

Dr Brenda Boardman, the report's author, estimates that as well as reducing carbon emissions, the moves could help households cut their annual energy bills by an average of £475.

She added: "The government needs to drive this transformation. It needs to provide the political commitment and financial support to turn this report into reality."

Dr Boardman's report was published the day after the Confederation of British Industry outlined proposals for businesses to implement changes that would cut annual carbon emissions by one million tonnes within three years.