Transcript Document
Sustainable Energy Action Plan HECA Progress Report March 2015
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Tamworth's Sustainable Energy Action Plan
This Sustainable Energy Action Plan serves as Tamworth Borough Council’s HECA progress report in line with requirements under the Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) for English Authorities. The Council submitted a Sustainable Energy Action Plan before March 31 st 2013 as their original HECA report. At the time the Council committed to submitting further reports at two-yearly intervals (by 31 March 2015, 31 March 2017, 31 March 2019 etc.). The original HECA report has been refreshed to enable updates on progress to be shown. This report is available electronically on our website. March 27 th 2015.
Tamworth in context
Within the Tamworth Healthier Housing Strategy, Tamworth Borough Council underline their commitment to improving the energy efficiency of properties across the Borough. The benefits of supporting the delivery of improvements are significant, including progress toward reducing emissions and to reduce the number of fuel poor households. By enabling residents to heat their homes affordably through interventions such as the improvement of the housing stock, the health and wellbeing of Tamworth residents will be enhanced.
Tamworth in context
Having been established in 2009, Home Energy Advice Tamworth (HEAT) has continued to act as an advice and support hub for residents of the Borough. Through the freephone advice line, all Tamworth residents can access impartial advice and support related to improving the energy efficiency of their home and how to stay warmer in winter (affordable warmth). The advice line also serves as a referral hub for ECO, Green Deal and associated schemes and as a signposting service to a range of other support partners.
Tamworth in context
Until December 2012 the Council worked with partners to fully utilise the remaining Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) funding by running a project through HEAT to raise the profile of energy efficiency. Over 3000 free Cavity Wall and Loft Insulation measures were installed, resulting in a significant increase in the number of properties insulated in Tamworth. The work was undertaken across all tenures, and householders benefitted regardless of age, disability or income status. Since then the Council has been working with partners to build upon this momentum through CERT’s predecessor schemes. However, difficulty accessing funding and complexities that were not present under the CERT scheme have meant that maintaining the previous level of installs has been a significant challenge.
The Council’s Housing Stock
The Council continue to invest resources to improve the efficiency of their own housing stock. The Council achieved the Decent Homes Standard previously across the entirety of its stock and continues to work to maintain and improve the standards already reached. In the coming years the Council will evaluate opportunities to boost renewable energy installations on its stock and begin to assess how they might plan for the delivery of more complex energy efficiency measures.
Our Climate Change Strategy
Tamworth Borough Council continue to work towards implementing recommendations within the Tamworth Climate Change Strategy. The Strategy was developed alongside key partners. The strategy contains a “road map”, which sets out how people, partners and businesses in the Borough can work towards reducing their impact on the climate ” The targets and actions detailed later in this document concerning the reduction of Carbon Emissions fits strategically with the Tamworth Climate Change Strategy.
The challenge …
Despite the ‘bright spots’ of activity that continue to emerge in Tamworth, the Borough still faces a number of challenges to improve energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty. Opportunities that looked to be available through the flagship funding streams; the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (both launched in 2013) have been more difficult to secure than expected. The Council committed resources to developing options and sought out approaches to move forward with both the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. The HEAT service continues to help leverage in funding under both schemes to deliver improvements to residents. Additional funding continues to be sought to enhance the service offered.
Tamworth’s vision – An affordable, energy secure and low carbon Borough
The previous Household Sustainable Energy Action Plan for Tamworth Borough sought to build on the good work that had already been undertaken. It outlined Tamworth’s previous performance with respect to household energy and proposed a series of targets and actions through to 2020. The actions were set out in the Sustainable Energy Dashboard - twelve areas of focus with 42 actions to be led by Tamworth Borough Council and partners. At the heart of all of the actions were things that made a difference to the lives of citizens living in the Borough. Warmer more comfortable homes; lower energy bills; job opportunities; cleaner air. The Dashboard is a plan of action for partners to work together to address the energy ‘trilemma’ of affordability; reliability and low carbon. This progress update will assess the progress made against the actions laid out in the Sustainable Energy Dashboard. (HECA Further report). 9
Why have a plan?
Energy Affordability:
The upward trend of energy costs that has been evident in the last decade has become a significant challenge for householders. Those households that are most disadvantaged and vulnerable are those most at risk, with many being unable to adequately (and safely) heat their home.
Why have a plan?
Economic Opportunities:
The Green Economy, which encompasses work to improve energy efficiency by improving existing stock (retrofit) and the development of new renewable and low carbon energy technologies has significant opportunities for Tamworth. The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) monitors the Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services (LCEGS) sector. In July 2013 it revealed the sector employed more than a million people and was worth £128bn that year, eight per cent of UK GDP. In addition, the retained economic benefit of energy efficiency work is likely to be significant. This is any additional income residents may be able to spend locally due to reductions in their energy spend.
Tamworth’s Economic Opportunity of Refurbishment
• 85% of existing houses will be standing in 2050 • Government commitment to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050 (25% of emissions from housing).
• 31,617 homes across the Borough of Tamworth – most do not meet thermal targets. These must be refurbished to a ‘zero carbon’ standard in the next 37 years (by 2050).
• The retrofitting market amounts to 855 homes a year on average, or c. 70 per week across the Borough.
• For Tamworth this is a £13 – 18 million per annum market.
Why have a plan?
Policies and Programmes:
The way that energy efficiency measures are funded has changed with the introduction of the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO). The former is a finance package for householders whilst the latter is a suppliers obligation. More traditional straight-forward grants are difficult to obtain. At the same time, the type of measures being required is shifting from ‘low cost’ such as loft and cavity wall insulation to more complex to deliver measures like Solid Wall insulation and renewable technologies. Plans are crucial to ensure that Tamworth can maximise funding, whether it be in the form of Energy Supplier obligations or working with partners to deliver finance options to householders.
Why have a plan?
Energy Infrastructure Investment :
Very significant amounts of money are being invested in to the UK’s energy infrastructure. In July 2014, DECC reported that energy projects were accounting for 60% of the UK’s infrastructure project pipeline, totalling well over £200 billion. With such large amounts being invested across the country, Tamworth needs a plan to ensure a proportion of this is secured and the benefits delivered locally.
Why have a plan?
Core City Fixation:
Traditionally, smaller Local Authorities and communities have missed out on large scale investment in energy efficiency works. So called ‘Core Cities’ often receive more funding and develop more pilot proposals in partnership with Government and partners. Larger conurbations also benefit from greater economies of scale, which can often be critical in developing ‘fundable’ projects. Tamworth must use a combination of greater teamwork, better planning and better promotion of opportunities in order to secure its share of funding.
Why have a plan?
Scale of the Challenge:
The challenges of unsustainable and unaffordable energy are significant – and the problems they create (i.e. fuel poverty) will not be eradicated in the short term. Long-term strategic plans are needed to deliver and maintain a sufficient level of activity over the long-term in order for ambitions to be realised.
Why have a plan?
To enable better co-operation:
Increasingly, the areas that need to be addressed span disciplines. Fuel poverty is an economic, health, housing and social issue. Effective delivery of interventions (especially those over the longer term) will require partnership working on a significant scale between a range of different departments and sectors.
Tamworth’s current performance
Tamworth continues to perform well on a range of indicators relating to Fuel Poverty and or Sustainable Energy. The following slides look at performance relating to;
Excess Winter Deaths Numbers in Fuel Poverty Average cost of energy per household
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EWD Index - 2012/13 14
TAMWORTH STAFFS MOORLANDS
32,8
STAFFORD BOROUGH
20,6
SOUTH STAFFS
25,9
NEWCASTLE
34,5
LICHFIELD EAST STAFFS
20,3 28,1
CANNOCK CHASE 0 5
EWD Index 24,8
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Source: Excess Winter Mortality in England & Wales, 2013/14 (Provisional) – ONS, 2014
Source: DECC 2012 sub-regional fuel poverty data: low income high costs indicator (June 2014)
Source: DECC Sub-national total final energy consumption in the United Kingdom 2005 – 2012 (Sept 2014)
Still good news for Tamworth …
• Continue to have the lowest level of Excess Winter Deaths in Staffordshire • Lowest numbers of people in the County in Fuel Poverty • Lowest annual cost of household energy per household and person in the County
What's behind the good performance?
Tamworth has a relatively new housing stock. Compared below with the national average; Tamworth HCS 2010 English HCS 2007 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
8.8% 24.6% 6.8% 18.1% 11.3% 16.9%
0% Pre 1919 1919 1944 1945 1964
39.2% 20.4%
1965 1980
Construction date 16.0% 8.5%
1981 1990
17.9% 11.5%
Post 1990
Why?
Tamworth is a closely compacted Urban Area of around 12 square miles. There is good access to mains gas which is one of the most ‘affordable heating fuels’.
Why?
Over the past 6 years significant resources have been invested in Home Energy Advice Tamworth. This has provided advice to many residents and has ensured co-operation between partners to help alleviate fuel poverty in the Borough and reduce the effects such as EWD’s.
Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets
Carbon Reduction:
To reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the domestic sector by 34% by 2020 based on 1990 levels. This target is deliberately in line with National Government targets. For Tamworth Borough this implies a 2.5% year on year ( reduction in carbon dioxide emissions through to 2020.
1990 Domestic Baseline
: 190,681 tonnes CO
Target:
124,312 tonnes CO
2
).
2
2020
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Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets
3-year carbon reduction targets
Monitor progress against this target by introducing new, building on the end of the National Indicator 186 reporting period.
TARGET I
: 1st April 2011-31st March 2014 = 11,527 tonnes reduction of CO²
. TARGET II:
2014 2017 10,694 tonnes reduction of CO²
TARGET III:
2017 2020 9,922 tonnes reduction of CO².
Tamworth Borough Domestic CO² Performance
Domestic CO² emission reduction of 5,300 kt CO²
CO² emissions (kt CO²) from domestic use – Estimates National 2005 Tamworth
183.2
Staffordshire
2,166.0
West Midlands
13,402.3 155,488.1
2006
181.8 2,201.3 13,524.6
2007
175.0 2,126.1 13,091.3
2008
172.2 2,107.0 12,965.9
2009
155.4 1,915.8 11,763.9
2010
166.8 2,055.5 12,595.1
2011 2012
146.4 1,805.6 161.5 1,974.7 11,070.1 12,170.1
% reduction (2010-12) 3.18 3.93 3.37
155,869.9 150,974.5 150,330.8 137,180.0 147,158.6 129,014 141,999.3 3.51
% reduction (2005-12) 11.84 8.83 9.19 8.68
Source: Local and Regional CO2 Emissions Estimates for 2005-2012 – Ricardo-AEA – June 2014
Tamworth Borough Domestic CO² Performance
Per Capita emissions (t) Domestic Tamworth Staffordshire West Midlands National 2005 2006 2007 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.5 2008 2009 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.0 2.3 2.1 2.2 2010 2011 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.3 1.9 2.1 2.0 2.0 2012 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.2 % reduction % reduction (2010-12) (2005-12 4.15 16.00 4.17 4.35 4.35 11.54 12.00 15.38
Increase evidenced across the board between 2011 and 2012. There may be a number of factors responsible for this including but not limited to an uptake in economic activity and the increase in coal usage nationally for electricity generation . Source: Local and Regional CO2 Emissions Estimates for 2005-2012 – Ricardo-AEA – June 2014
Recent CO² reduction activity
• ECO installations under HEAT (2013-2015) 26 loft insulations and 14 cavity wall insualtions Lifetime savings of
1,238.92
(tonnes of CO²)* Belgrave Fuel Switch Project Figures pending *(All figures estimates based on EST figures 26/03/15)
250 000 200 000 150 000 100 000 50 000 0
Tamworth Domestic 1990-2050 Carbon Descent Year
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Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets
Fuel Poverty Target:
Adopt the Government’s Fuel Poverty Target and seek to deliver in the Borough of Tamworth the current Government Target: By 22nd November 2016, as far as is reasonably practicable, no person should have to live in fuel poverty. Tamworth Borough: Remove 5,000 households from fuel poverty by 2016. 1,670 per year on average.
Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets
Microgeneration Target:
To support the growth of local small-scale renewable energy – especially that which supports the reduction of fuel poverty and household carbon emissions.
Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets
Tamworth Borough Council and partners continue to
monitor Government Policy
and wider practice with regard to Local Carbon Budgets, Green Deal and Fuel Poverty along with other measures to ensure that Tamworth Borough’s policies are timely and well informed.
Tamworth Borough Domestic Budgets 2011 – 2020
The following table states Tamworth’s 3x3-year carbon budgets for the domestic sector starting April 2011. This is the estimated total reduction required over each 3 year period to deliver a 34% reduction in domestic carbon dioxide emissions on an estimated 1990 baseline.
3 Year Timeframe
April 11 – March 14 April 14 – March 17 April 17 – March 20
Domestic Carbon Dioxide Reduction Budget/tonnes CO 2
11,527 10,694 9,922 35
Meeting the first Tamworth Domestic carbon budget
Tamworth Borough’s first three-year domestic carbon budget from 1 st April 2011 to 31 st March 2014 is a reduction of 11,527 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
It is proposed to deliver this 3 year target in the following way: 1.
2.
3.
4.
CAVITY WALL INSULATION (1,986 installations saving an average of 560kg CO 2 /annum/measure) = 1,112 tonnes CO 2 ) LOFT INSULATION (1,302 installations saving an average of 234 kg CO 2 /annum/measure) = 305 tonnes CO 2 ) NEW GAS BOILERS (6,480 installations saving an average of 762 kg CO 2 /annum/measure) = 4,941 tonnes CO 2 ) TO BE CONFIRMED (5,169 tonnes of CO 2 /annum – to include microgeneration, behaviour change, solid wall insulation etc.) 36
Tamworth Borough Sustainable Energy Dashboard 1.0 March 2013 (Priority Actions) A. Domestic Measures: 1.
2.
3.
Cavity Wall Insulation (3 year target: 1,986 installations): Loft Insulation (3 year target: 1,302 installations): New Gas Boiler (3 year target:
6,408 installations): Obligation support.
4.
Other Measures/Actions to be confirmed: B. Home Energy Advice: 1.
2.
3.
Advice Target: Maximum support from Service Providers: Seek funding to enhance advice offer: C. Social Housing 1. Energy Company Obligation: 2. Belgrave Gas Extension: 3. Affordable Warmth Advice: 3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
D. Knowledge, Capability & Networking:
1.
2.
8.
9.
Council Officers & Elected Members:
Public: (see Communications & PR strategy)
Social Housing Providers: Schools & Colleges: Voluntary & Community Sector Staffordshire County: Energy Utilities & their delivery partners: Funders: Mr Christopher Pincher MP:
E. Health:
1.
Let’s Work Together: 2. Data Sharing: 3. Falls in Cold Homes: 4. Frail & Elderly: F. Special Projects
1. Belgrave Fuel Switch:.
2. Cheaper Energy Together Collective Switch: 3. District Heating:
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G. Economic Opportunities: 1. Green Deal: 2. Energy Company Obligation: 3. Renewables: 4. Local Enterprise Partnership: 5. South Staffordshire College: J. Keeping Score: 1. Maintain Tamworth Borough’s Sustainable Energy Dashboard : 2. Explore Borough Wide Property Database: H. Planning & New Build: 1. Solid Wall Insulation: 2. Area Based Planning: 3. Government Review of Building Regulations and Zero Carbon Homes: K. Publicity/Communication: 1.
Publicity and awareness campaign to ensure that organisations, communities and individuals throughout the Borough are aware of sustainable energy/low carbon opportunities: I. Affordable Warmth: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Maximum Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation Investment: Maximise other Affordable Warmth Elements of Energy Company Obligation: Government’s Response to Hills Fuel
Poverty Review:.
Warm Homes Healthy People Funding: Develop a new Affordable Warmth plan: L . Securing Funding|Resources|Investmen t: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Energy Company Obligation: Special Projects: Prepared for Final Quarter Rush: Energy Utilities: Funding for Regional Growth & Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs): Other:
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A. Domestic Measures (Update on progress)
1.
2.
3.
Background Installation Target:
The ‘Great British Refurb’ calls for every UK home to be ‘zero carbon’ by 2050. To meet this target Tamworth must deliver ‘zero carbon‘ refurbishments in around 850 homes a year on average for the next 37 years. Given that the current basic ‘sustainable energy’ measures being installed in homes are significantly less than that needed to achieve ‘zero carbon’ standards then significantly more homes must receive measures in the short term. The short term target is to develop a mechanism for maximising the take-up of the Energy Company Obligation in the Borough of Tamworth followed by selecting a Green Deal delivery partner or partners.
Cavity Wall Insulation (3 year target: 1,986 installations):
Targeting owner occupiers and the private residential rented sector. Including normal cavities and hard to treat. Focussed on Carbon Saving Community Obligation areas and those eligible for Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation support.
Loft Insulation (3 year target: 1,302 installations):
Targeting owner occupiers and the private residential rented sector. Focussed on Carbon Saving Community Obligation areas and those eligible for Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation support.
New Gas Boiler (3 year target: 6,408 installations):
Will largely occur through the on-going replacement of the fleet of domestic boilers. Green Deal support helpful. Specific focus on those eligible for Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation support.
Update - Due to ongoing uncertainties with funding for the above measures under all elements of the ECO scheme, the number of installs for the period (2013-15) has been significantly under target. It has been a significant challenge over the period to secure stable energy company obligation funding to deliver measures as originally predicted. Throughout the period 58 installations were delivered in Tamworth through the HEAT scheme. The breakdown was as follows; Loft Insulation (26), Cavity Wall insulation (14), Boiler replacements (8).
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B. Home Energy Advice
1. Advice Target:
3,100 households in the Borough of Tamworth to receive high quality sustainable energy advice per year. Aim to provide sustainable energy advice to every household in Tamworth once every 10 years. (Delivered by Home Energy Advice Tamworth, Energy Saving Advice Service, Utilities and other providers of high quality sustainable energy advice). Update – in the last two years the HEAT advice line has received direct contact numbers of 850 (424 for year 1 and 426 calls for year 2). The Tamworth Borough website with advice received 485 hits. Therefore 667 residents are receiving direct advice from HEAT per year. In addition, 45 home visits have been undertaken in the last two years to offer face to face to support to some of the Borough's most vulnerable households. 70 consumers received 1-1 advice through BESN.
2. Maximum support from Service Providers:
Ensure that Tamworth Borough secures as much support from Sustainable Energy Service Providers as possible and quantify the support that the Borough receives whenever possible. Update - Through relationships with partners who support the delivery of the HEAT scheme, The Council has been attempting to secure support from energy providers. Upcoming work to improve on the development of stock knowledge and project development will seek to re inforce this. 40
C. Social Housing
Tamworth Borough Council retains its own social housing stock. Of the total 31,617 households in the Borough some 19.3% or 6,108 are social rented. Some 4,482 from the Council and 1,626 from other social housing providers. Source ONS 2011.
1. Energy Company Obligation:
The Energy Company Obligation provides some excellent opportunities for improving the energy efficiency of social housing in Tamworth. Notably the Carbon Emission Reduction Obligation & Carbon Saving Community Obligation (CSCO). Hard to treat cavities, solid wall insulation and district heating are the key areas of opportunity. Update – Social Housing tenants in Tamworth have continued to benefit from measures installed under ECO, primarily through the HEAT advice line. The Council will work closely with partners to undertake a full appraisal of their stock in relation to remaining loft and cavity wall insulations needed.
2. Belgrave Gas Extension:
Work with the social enterprise Affordable Warmth Solutions to deliver a fuel switching project in Belgrave (electricity to gas).
Update – see section special projects. 41
C. Social Housing (Cont’d)
3. Affordable Warmth Advice:
Deliver a programme of ‘Affordable Warmth advice to social housing tenants in the Borough replicating best practice such as Live4Less or Aspire Housing’s ‘Embedded Adviser’ programme.
Update – Council tenants have continued to receive advice through the services offered through the HEAT advice line.
4. Stock Options Appraisal:
Develop greater understanding of the Council stock and the key improvement targets for the coming years. This will include moving toward some more complex measures such as solid wall insulations and innovative heating solutions such as district heating. The Council’s low-rise and high-rise properties and non-traditional stock should be a priority in this regard. 42
D. Knowledge, Capability & Networking
The sustainable energy landscape changes with new policies and programmes (Green Deal and ECO); rising energy affordability challenges; new local economic opportunities; and public health responsibilities moving to sit more effectively with housing. It is key to ensure that all those with capacity to act and make a difference are given the opportunity to do so in order to stimulate and coordinate activities, so that Borough and partners deliver warm, secure and affordable energy homes for Tamworth’s collective benefit.
1. Council Officers & Elected Members: 2. Public:
(see Communications & PR strategy)
3. Social Housing Providers:
significant stock in Borough (Tamworth Borough Council stock and other Registered Providers with
4. Schools & Colleges:
Economic opportunities of sustainable energy.
5. Voluntary & Community Sector 6. Staffordshire County: 7. Energy Utilities & their delivery partners: 8. Funders: 9. Mr Christopher Pincher MP:
Member of the Energy & Climate Change Committee.
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E. Health
1.
Let’s Work Together:
To ensure that the health impacts of cold homes are a core part of the Let’s Work Together initiative in Tamworth. Update – The Let’s Work Together initiative continues to be supported by the Council. The key Affordable Warmth messages continue to be delivered through the initiative’s partners.
2. Data Sharing:
To explore how information on the most vulnerable can be shared to maximise the uptake of support measures. E.g. Primary Care knowledge of those most at risk of cold homes; benefit data sharing protocols to maximise the uptake of the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation. Update – work is ongoing to develop more effective co-operative working between health and housing departments. Greater sharing of data between partner remains a key ambition to maximise the delivery of support and advice to the vulnerable. 44
E. Health (Cont’d)
3. Falls in Cold Homes / Frail & Elderly:
Use the support from the Energy Company Obligation to target those most at risk from falls in cold homes and to target the frail and elderly in the Borough.
Update – support available under ECO less than expected. However, activity has been ongoing to support those vulnerable to the cold weather. See special projects – F – Resilient Communities.
4. Health & Housing Strategy Paper
Tamworth Borough Council recently commissioned the delivery of a strategy paper to discuss how better to link Health and Housing. Publication and recommendations are expected in Q1 (2015-16). The paper will draw on best practice from across the UK in relation to how Health and Housing departments are working together to effectively develop projects to offer support to households. Recommendations and next steps will also be outlined specific to Tamworth. 45
F. Special Projects
1. Belgrave Fuel Switch:
Deliver gas supply to electrically heated homes in Belgrave.
Update – 259 gas connections have been completed on a fuel switch project in the Belgrave area of Tamworth. 126 connections were to private householders with the remaining 133 being undertaken on Council properties. The 126 private households each received a new heating system through the Energy Company Obligation. The council have installed the first tranche of 66 heating systems to accompany the new connections in their own properties. The remaining 68 are to be completed in Q1 of 2015-16. The project has involved the removal of electric storage heaters to be replaced by A-rated Worcester Bosch combination boilers. The project has been delivered in partnership with Affordable Warmth Solutions and with the co-operation of energy companies as suppliers of ECO funding. The switch was promoted through the HEAT service and advice to those householders who were involved was also provided. 46
F. Special Projects (continued)
1. Cheaper Energy Together
: Tamworth Borough Council were an active partner in a regional collective switch project under funding from DECC.
2. District Heating:
Develop a plan to maximise the opportunities from district heating under Energy Company Obligation.
Update: Tamworth Borough Council have commissioned the delivery of a strategy paper in Q1 (2015-16) to investigate renewable energy opportunities across the Borough, of which District heating will be one such opportunity. The Council will assess potential funding through the Central Heating Fund (CHF) and Urban Community Energy Fund (UCEF).
3. Green Deal Communities
Tamworth Borough Council, along with other LA partners from Staffordshire submitted a bid to the DECC Green Deal Communities fund to support area based delivery of solid wall insulation to fuel poor areas of the Borough. Unfortunately, funding was not secured. Having identified areas to target, the Council continues to seek alternative funding routes to enable effective intervention in future on an area basis. 47
F. Special Projects (continued)
4. Building Resilient Communities:
Tamworth Borough Council led a bid to Staffordshire County Council for funding to support affordable warmth activities over winter 2014-15. In Partnership with other Staffordshire Councils the fund has provided additional energy advice and support through the HEAT advice line, additional home visits, winter warmth packs and a small number of heating replacements. At the time of writing 7 home visits in Tamworth had been undertaken under this funding and 3 boiler replacement jobs were in progress.
5. Western Power Distribution Winter Warmth Scheme:
Funding was also secured by HEAT partners from the distribution network operator, WPD, to offer additional advice and support to fuel poor households. The activity under this funding pot was similar to that of ‘Building Resilient Communities’ – but meant that advice could reach more residents in need. As part of this scheme the West Midlands Ambulance service distributed advice leaflets and posters to all Primary health outlets across the Borough.
6. Big Energy Saving Network:
HEAT partners delivered activity under DECC’s BESN project, providing tariff and energy advice. 31 frontline workers received training and 70 consumers received 1-1- advice through a number of outreach sessions. Partners included Age UK South Staffs and Community Together.
G. Economic Opportunities 1. Green Deal:
Maximising the local job opportunities from Green Deal in the Borough. Update – Green Deal uptake nationally has been underwhelming, a picture replicated in Tamworth. It is therefore believed that the job opportunities in Tamworth that can be directly attributed to the scheme have been limited.
2. Energy Company Obligation:
Maximising the local job opportunities from ECO in the Borough. Update – The Energy Company Obligation hasn’t had the effect on local employment that was first muted. If anything, the scheme may have resulted in a loss of economic opportunities. Reports suggest the insulation industry has suffered significantly over the last two years with high rates of bankruptcies and job losses.
3. Renewables:
Maximising the local supply chain opportunities from renewable energy and low carbon energy sources including district heating. Update – The Council are hoping to support such opportunities following the delivery of a strategy paper surrounding renewable energy opportunities. This paper will seek to begin assessing avenues for investment over the coming years. Paper due Q1 2015-16. 49
G. Economic Opportunities (continued) 4. Local Enterprise Partnership:
Securing commitment and funding to the local economic opportunities of housing sustainable energy refurbishment and retrofit. Update - The Local Enterprise Partnerships in England are at the centre of new ESIF funding. Opportunities for Tamworth Borough around supporting development of retrofit supply chains may exist under this funding stream. Further scoping with partners and the Staffordshire LEP will be undertaken in the coming years.
5. South Staffordshire College:
Green Deal career path? Solid wall insulation skills. Micro-generation.
Update – the predicted increase in solid wall and micro-generation demand has not been realised under the Green Deal to date. Consequently so called ‘Green Deal Career Paths’ have not emerged. However, the Council will continue to assess how they can work to support job creation within the energy efficiency sector / green economy in partnership with education and training providers. 50
H. Planning & New Build
1. Solid Wall Insulation:
Develop skills and capacity of Tamworth Development Control team to be able to progress predicted increase in solid wall insulation workload to give projects certainty. Update – The predicted increase in applications for solid wall insulation installs has not materialised due to lack of uptake of Green Deal and uncertainty around other funding mechanisms.
2. Area Based Planning:
Develop understanding of area based planning approval for community projects (e.g. Stoke City Council’s approach). Update – similar to above – funding landscape has not been conducive to on the ground delivery of solid wall insulation schemes through an area based approach.
3. Government Review of Building Regulations and Zero Carbon Homes:
Maintain watching brief of Government review of Building Regulations and Zero Carbon Homes http://bit.ly/Zv642E Update - The Council continues to keep abreast with developments concerning building regulation changes and codes. 51
I. Affordable Warmth
1.
2.
Maximum Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation Investment:
Tamworth Borough’s ‘fair share’ of the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation (HHCRO) is around £400k/annum (about 160 boilers costing £2.5k each). Tamworth can get much more of this pot if it helps the Obligated Parties spend their money simply and effectively. Develop plan to maximise HHCRO investment. Update – identifying HHCRO eligible households was a significant challenge and the expected installs able to be secured for the Borough was lower than first thought. Demand nationally for the HHCRO element of ECO outstripped the funding available. To better react in future, more work needs to be done to identify eligibility. Closer working with Health and other partners should improve this.
Maximise other Elements of Energy Company Obligation:
Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation: Initial focus on electrically heated solid wall properties. Carbon Saving Community Obligation: Focus on eligible Lower Super Output Areas. Develop plan to maximise alleviation of fuel poverty through Carbon Saving elements of ECO. Update – As above. The Council and partners need to better understand the challenges, the need for measures – and in turn develop ‘workable’ projects in order to maximise funding. 52
I. Affordable Warmth (Cont’d)
3. Government’s Response to Hills Fuel Poverty Review:
Maintain a watching brief to ensure that Tamworth Borough can benefit from the new Government strategy. Update – The recently released Fuel Poverty Strategy will be digested and will feed in to an update of the Tamworth Affordable Warmth Strategy.
4. Warm Homes Healthy People Funding:
Clear evidence based plan for winter 13/14. Update – No WHHP funding for previous years. Ongoing work to collaborate with Health (especially Public Health dept.'s) to better develop strategies and the ability to react to any funding made available.
5. Develop a new Affordable Warmth plan :
Building on the Healthier Housing Strategy, Public Health changes and Home Energy Conservation Act duties. Update – feed input from the new gov’t Fuel Poverty Strategy and the NICE guidelines on Fuel Poverty and Excess Winter Deaths. Gain input from a range of stakeholders throughout development.
J. Keeping Score
1.
Maintain Tamworth Borough’s Sustainable Energy Dashboard:
Use the Tamworth Borough Sustainable Energy Dashboard for keeping score. Develop simple reporting mechanisms from ‘service providers’ and ‘solutions providers’ including partner organisations to track progress. Data from the Department of Energy & Climate Change and OFGEM will enable Tamworth Borough to see the impact of activity and measures. The complexity of energy and climate change and the cross cutting nature of the agendas means that certainty will be elusive. Keeping the system simple is crucial – the dashboard approach aims to achieve simplicity. Update – Tamworth Borough’s Sustainable Energy dashboard continues to be used to develop approaches to the challenges the Borough faces. Using the format to report progress against the Further HECA report is evidence of this.
2. Explore Borough Wide Property Database:
Local Authorities have a key role in coordinating the delivery of the Energy Company Obligation and Green Deal. Good data will be key in identifying individual dwellings and areas that have most to gain. It helps to target measures and organise, plan and implement programmes, monitor progress and evaluate outcomes. What data does Tamworth have and how can it be together so the Borough is ready for the new programmes. Update – Work is ongoing to appraise the different options in relation to collating data to enable better planning and delivery of projects. County wide approaches still being considered.
K. Publicity/Communication
1. Publicity and awareness campaign to ensure that organisations, communities and individuals throughout the Borough are aware of sustainable energy/low carbon opportunities:
Tamworth should promote opportunities widely and with confidence. There is much to be celebrated in the Borough and there are many opportunities for Tamworth still to take. Publicity and communications around sustainable energy should form a small but significant part of many communications from the Tamworth Borough Council and Partners. This isn’t about energy as a standalone issue, but about cosy and comfortable homes, pensioners slashing their energy bills, new job opportunities for local people, children doing homework in warm rooms, people making a 10% return on their photovoltaic panels. Update – Working with partners with responsibility for supporting the delivery of the HEAT service, the Council is seeking to develop a wider network for partners to boost awareness and publicity of the services that the Council can offer / support. As part of this, new strategies for disseminating key information are being trialed and monitored to measure impacts. Wherever possible additional funding will be sought to increase reach. 55
L. Securing Resources|Funding|Investment
1. Energy Company Obligation:
The Borough should secure around a £1.6 million ‘fair share’ each year. Important to develop an early dialogue with the Obligated Parties and their delivery partners. Update - This has been a challenge over the last two years. However, working closely with partners Tamworth Borough Council is working hard to better develop its understanding of the specific issues and opportunities that exist across the borough. It is thought that such work will better enable the leveraging of funding under current and future funding schemes.
2.
Prepare for Final Quarter Rush:
Increasingly significant resources are made available in the final quarter of the financial year (Jan – March). It’s important for Tamworth to have ‘oven ready projects’ and be ‘ready to deliver at scale’ to ensure that at least a fair share of these resources are secured. Update – as outlined above, the Council and partners continue to develop knowledge and understanding with the aim of developing ‘oven-ready’ projects to take advantage of any funding announcements when they are made. 56
TOP TEN Funding Opportunities for Tamworth Borough:
1. Energy Company Obligation:
A £1.6 million a year ‘fair share’. More is available if Tamworth Borough acts ambitiously and effectively. Update – accessing funding under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) has been difficult, but the scheme is delivering funded measures to households in the Borough. Although dependent on the future of ECO, The Council seeks to become better at targeting delivery of whatever funding is available. Gaining a greater understanding of the challenges and the measures required will enable the Council to respond more effectively to ECO in the coming years, especially if the scheme goes through more changes. Undertaking an appraisal of the Council stock will help to establish where and how ECO can better support the Councils improvement ambitions.
2. Green Deal:
Likely to grow in demand over time. Really important as ‘match funding’ for Energy Company Obligation funded measures especially Carbon Emission Reduction Target. Update – although demand for the scheme has been slow, this may potentially pick up and the Green Deal is a key element of the current landscape. The Council will attempt to support the provision of advice around Green Deal through the HEAT advice line. The Council will also keep abreast of associated schemes and how the council can support the effectiveness of these within the Borough i.e. GDHIF. 57
TOP TEN Funding Opportunities for Tamworth Borough: (Cont’d)
3. DECC Central Heating Fund (CHF)
A new government scheme (March 2015) to offer capital funding of £25million to Local Authorities to support fuel poor households. The fund aims to install a range of ‘first time’ central heating systems in properties without access to mains gas. The Council will explore the funds’ detail and assess whether it can support improvements in the Borough, especially if used to support delivery of renewable heating systems in to electrically heated properties. Match funding from ECO and or RHI to be investigated. Suitability for Council’s own stock to be assessed. http://bit.ly/1NlBXBu
4. European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) and the Local Enterprise Partnership:
The ESIF fund went live on March 20 th 2015 and presents opportunities for Tamworth Borough around upscaling retrofit delivery, whole place solutions and renewable energy rollout. Work is ongoing to scope further with Staffordshire LEP.
5. Local Fuel Poverty Innovation Fund :
Around £2 million is being made available by DECC for pilot projects that encourage local fuel poverty innovation. Linking to the Fuel Poverty Strategy. Example areas are park homes, targeting and health, advice, community energy. Expected Q2 http://bit.ly/1H5DqtU 58
TOP TEN Funding Opportunities for Tamworth Borough: (Cont’d)
6. Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI):
Worth exploring for the significant number of Tamworth’s electrically heated homes. Especially if a district heating solution can be made to work with the Energy Company Obligation.
Update – The RHI continues to be the key driver behind the installation of renewable heating systems in the UK. HEAT will continue to offer impartial advice and support to householders interested in the scheme. Additionally, the Council will seek to establish the opportunities offered by the RHI in relation to their own stock. This will be captured in the aforementioned renewable energy strategy document that has been commissioned.
7. Big Lottery:
Various programmes to support civil society organisations and the most disadvantaged groups and communities. Reaching Communities and Awards for All worth exploring.
Update – Increasingly , funding is being made available from civil society to support the fuel poor. Working more closely with community and third sector partners, Tamworth Borough Council should attempt to leverage some of this funding with its partners to help deliver where traditional funding routes won’t and to fill the gaps left by existing funding. 59
TOP TEN Funding Opportunities for Tamworth Borough: (Cont’d)
8. Fuel Poverty &/or Health Funds:
Including Warmer Homes Healthy People, Warm Homes Discount, Public Heath resources. Update – HEAT to continue to boost local uptake of schemes such as the Warm Homes Discount. Commissioned health paper to recommend how Health and Housing work together to finance affordable warmth interventions.
9. Big Energy Saving Network:
DECC has announced the third re-run of the Big Energy Saving Network Scheme, the scheme provides funding for the training of frontline workers and consumers around energy efficiency with a specific focus on tariff switching. Tamworth Borough Council to support any organizations hoping to deliver such activity across the Borough and will link this in to the HEAT advice line.
10.Householders own resources / financing options:
How can the savings of householders be invested for excellent returns in sustainable energy.
Update – a number of innovative funding solutions are currently being trialled and tested. Alongside Green Deal, equity release schemes are being mooted as a potential means to unlock the delivery of large scale works for householders. Similarly, some LA’s offering 0% loan arrangements for retrofit works. Tamworth Borough Council will stay informed of such schemes and will continually assess their viability for helping to tackle the Boroughs’ challenges.