Details of ‘Sustainability on a Budget’ were announced at a reception last week at the House of Commons.
Plumb Center says the aim of ‘Sustainability on a Budget’ is to help members of the public gain insight and information about practical, low-cost measures that will make a real difference not only to the cost of energy in their homes, but also to their carbon output.
The Parliamentary reception was addressed by Baroness Verma, parliamentary under secretary of state for energy and climate change, Tim Pollard, Plumb Center’s head of sustainability and Laura Sandys MP, parliamentary private secretary to the Rt Hon Greg Barker MP.
Plumb Center was joined at the event by key suppliers Honeywell, Grundfos, Fernox and Mira, all of whom were given the opportunity to discuss the economic and trading environment in the sustainability sector. It also gave MPs the chance to view the latest technologies in sustainability, and to gain insight and information about practical, low-cost measures from industry experts. MPs also discussed holding similar events within their constituencies to promote efficiency measures.
Baroness Verma told guests: “Britain has some of the oldest and most inefficient building stock in Europe. Consumers pay a high price for our inefficient buildings. We know families are being hit hard by the rising cost of gas and electricity; our inefficient homes are using a lot more energy than they need to.
“Whilst we cannot control world wholesale gas prices, we can help people become aware of what they can do to reduce their energy bills. Around 15 million of the 26 million homes in Britain are not properly insulated, and around 12 million non-condensing boilers remain in UK housing stock. More than half of all households do not have proper heating controls. If we are to make sustainable change to the efficiency of our housing stock, it is imperative that individual customers and households change the way they consume energy.
“The plumbing, heating and construction industries are crucial to the success of the government’s agenda through utilising the opportunities being designed for the market and local businesses. Changing our own behaviours towards a more energy efficient life-style will embed a change necessary for generations to come, and doing nothing is not really a viable option.”
Tim Pollard added: “Plumb Center has been working closely with the Department for Energy and Climate Change to support the development of the Green Deal. This is an important initiative that, with government and industry working together, will help consumers reduce their bills and carbon footprint.”