NIA asks for cross party support to be extended to a national energy efficiency programme

The NIA welcomes the recent cross party agreement for action on climate change and is urging party leaders to agree support for an ambitious national energy efficiency programme.

With over 7m households lacking solid wall insulation, 6m lacking cavity wall insulation and over 7m having inadequate loft insulation the NIA is asking party leaders to build on their recent commitment to tackle climate change by agreeing to make energy efficiency retrofit of the UK housing stock a national infrastructure priority.  Supported by additional funding from the Government Infrastructure budget and to pledge to provide support to 6m low income households by 2025.

Recent reports have highlighted the scale of the problem and demonstrated why a fresh approach and step change in funding for energy efficiency and installation rates is needed:

• The rate of insulation installations has collapsed under the current Energy Company Obligation and Green Deal and is well behind the trajectory needed to achieve the UKs carbon saving targets according to the Committee on Climate Change.  At the current rates of installation it will take:

o   Around 150 years to insulate all of the remaining solid wall properties

o   Over 30 years to insulate all of the remaining cavity wall properties

o   And around 60 years to insulate all of the remaining lofts to the correct level

• A recent study by leading think tank Policy Exchange identified that over 1m of the 2.3m fuel poor households in England have a family member at work and that Government funding to tackle fuel poverty is currently around £700m-a-year below that needed.

   

• Research conducted by Cambridge Econometrics and Verco for the Energy Bill Revolution identified that a far more ambitious home energy efficiency investment programme would pay for itself and significantly boost the UK economy.  The report revealed that the programme would:

o   add £13.9bn annually to the UK economy by 2030

o   create over 100,000 new jobs 

o   deliver average energy savings of £372 and result in £4.95 billion in financial savingsper year for UK households by 2030

o   cut gas imports by 25%, boosting energy security

o   provide a £1.27 return in tax revenue for every £1 invested by Government

Neil Marshall said: "the evidence is there for all to see - the current policies, programmes and funding are inadequate and yet the benefits to Government, the economy and hard pressed householders from a properly funded energy efficiency programme are huge.  Therefore today we are calling on all political parties to go further, faster by committing to the following in their election manifestos:

• To make energy efficiency retrofit of the UK housing stock a UK infrastructure investment priority supported by appropriate levels of funding and a robust delivery plan developed with industry.
• As part of the programme insulate 2 million low income homes to EPC band C by 2020 and all 6 million low income homes to band C by 2025."

NIA membership now available to Green Deal Assessors

Over the last few weeks we have been contacted by a significant number of Green Deal Assessors and Green Deal Assessor Organisations expressing an interest in joining the NIA and in response we have now opened up membership for GDAs and GDAOs.  Affiliate Membership is available at an  annual cost of £309 + VAT.

Membership of the NIA will provide GDAs/GDAOs with a number of important benefits including:

• Access to information, advice and guidance on Green Deal, GDHIF and the Energy Company Obligation.
• Opportunity to network and develop relationships with our other members including Green Deal Installers and Greed Deal Providers.
• Opportunity to raise any issues or concerns you have with the current schemes which we can voice on your behalf with Government , energy companies and other key stakeholders.
• Attend our local briefing events and Annual Conference/gala dinner. 

If you are interested in membership please contact Bev Hodson bev.hodson@nia-uk.org 01525 383313

NIA Introduces New Service for Local Authorities and Housing Associations

With the cuts to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) announced by Government last year, an increasing number of Local Authorities and Housing Associations are now unable to secure ECO funding for insulation programmes and are therefore funding these from their own budgets - as a result we are increasingly being contacted by them asking for our help in finding local installers to carry out work on their behalf.

In response to these requests the National Insulation Association (NIA) is pleased to announce the introduction of a new service for Local Authorities and Housing Associations looking for insulation companies to work on their projects. They can provide us with details of these  projects and we will then issue expressions of interest and tender requests on their behalf to our members through our electronic communication system.  This provides the benefit of avoiding the need to contact lots of different companies and is immediate.

The NIA is the lead trade body for insulation measures in the UK representing manufacturers and installers of cavity wall, external wall, internal wall, roof and loft insulation and draught proofing and therefore our members can provide multi measure solutions.  In addition, NIA  members are required to meet our robust membership criteria and adhere to our strict code of professional practice and therefore using our members provides additional reassurance and peace of mind.

If you would like to use this service please email or telephone Bev Hodson at NIA bev.hodson@nia-uk.org   01525 383313