FUEL POVERTY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Early day motion 1249, tabled 27 April 1998 by Julia Drown (Labour). Signed by 81 members.

That this House believes that it is a national disgrace that seven million households live in fuel poverty, and that a sustainable solution to this issue will require a major increase in the energy efficiency of the nation's housing stock; welcomes the Government's manifesto commitment for a major push to promote home energy effiency schemes; believes that such schemes would also contribute to the achievement of the Government's targets of reducing United Kingdom carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent, improving public health, creating sustainable jobs and reducing social exclusion; recognises that achieving these ambitious goals will require major investment in energy efficiency; further welcomes the Government's view, as expressed in the consultation paper on utility regulation, that the energy industry regulation should contribute to sustainable development and have clear social and environmental goals; and urges the Government to set specific targets for energy efficiency investment, to direct the regulators of the gas and electricity industries to give a much higher priority to energy efficiency, and to implement a system of distribution charges to enable investment in reducing total consumer energy bills and the cost of affordable warmth.

Signatures by party: Labour 67, Labour/Co-operative 7, Liberal Democrat 7.