There are many ways that we are working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the local housing stock.
Local authority housing
Energy efficiency improvements to local authority housing is currently managed under the Decent Homes programme.
Approximately £50,000 per year is spent on insulation measures and another £1.1 million is spent on repairing and replacing heating systems with energy efficient gas condensing boilers.
These budgets are both programmed to continue until 2010.
A revenue budget of approximately
£13,000 is available for the purchase of licenses, promotional material, consultant costs and ongoing monitoring to help facilitate
energy efficiency improvements.
SAP energy rating
The SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) energy cost rating is the government's recommended system for energy rating of dwellings.
It is based on energy costs for space and water heating under standard occupancy, heating pattern and location using average fuel prices.
The current SAP scale is rated
from 1 to 120 - the higher the number the better the performance.
The current average score for our housing stock
is 69. We are currently working towards a target of 71 by April 2009 and 75 by April 2011.
The average SAP score
for the private sector housing in Cambridge is considerably lower.
For advice on how to improve your home's SAP
rating please visit the Energy Saving Trust website.
Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) reports
As part of the Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) 1995 we have a duty to report on the energy efficiency improvements made in all of the housing in Cambridge.
We are currently working towards a 48% reduction in energy use
from a 1995 baseline, although this process is currently under government review as there are issues with the calculating
and reporting mechanisms.
The following full reports are available for download:
HECA
report 12 (2007-08)
HECA report 11 (2006-07)
HECA
report 10 (2005-06)
HECA report 9 (2004-05)
HECA
report 8 (2003-04)
More information
on the Home Energy Conservation Act can be found at the Defra website.
Home energy strategy
We approved the home energy strategy (PDF 700kb) 2006-11 in November 2006.
The
aim of this is to increase the efficient use of energy in existing homes in Cambridge and reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases.
Our new medium term objectives include the commitments to:
- agree targets for carbon dioxide reduction
- improve the energy rating of housing in the city, and to
- help people understand how they personally can make changes to live more sustainably and contribute to carbon reduction
Affordable warmth policy
As part of the home energy strategy and also to satisfy Home Energy Conservation Act requirements we now have an affordable warmth policy (PDF 250kb).
This is also a result of the recent rises in fuel prices that have put additional strain upon the finances of local residents.
This policy sets out the our plans for the provision of affordable warmth.
We support the government's aim to eradicate fuel poverty in vulnerable households where reasonably practicable by 2010, and in all households by 2016.
Case studies
We
currently have the following case studies available for download:
Rawlyn
Court Sheltered Housing scheme - Solar thermal hot water heating and general energy consumption, 2005-06.
