Developing an Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing: consultation

9. Timescales for the Energy Efficiency Standard

This chapter looks at:

• Further milestones for the Energy Efficiency Standard

9.1 The proposed energy efficiency standard is part of the wider Sustainable Housing Strategy, which will encompass all housing tenures. The consultation process for both the SHS and the energy efficiency standard for social housing will run in parallel, and both consultations will take place from 25 June to 28 September. This approach will enable respondents to reflect issues and potential impacts across all housing tenures.

Milestones

9.2 Given how important the UK Government funding streams will be (see above, chapter 7), and to enable full consideration of the responses to this consultation document, we propose finalising the new energy efficiency standard in late 2012 with the first milestone being 2020. However, given the longer-term climate change target for 2050, it is important that the standard will be seen as an interim milestone with the ultimate aim being to achieve even greater levels of energy efficiency in social housing in the longer term.

9.3 To help meet the longer-term target of 2050, it may make sense to set a series of interim milestones to be met, so that progress can be gauged. The obvious dates for the milestones are 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050. In terms of the level of standard to be met for each of the later deadlines, the 'advanced measures' column in the case studies gives an idea of the kind of further improvements that can be made and the impact on the EPC rating. This gives an indication of the likely longer-term rating to be achieved. However, we propose deferring the final decision on this until nearer 2020 when it will be clearer what progress is being made, what the impact of UK Government schemes (such as the Green Deal) have had and what new technologies have been successfully piloted and are becoming more commonplace. For these reasons, we propose defining the 2030 standard around 2020 (and likewise the 2040 milestone around 2030, and the final 2050 target around 2040).

Question 28: Should there be regular milestones to measure progress towards 2050? If so, what dates would you suggest?

Question 29: Do you agree that setting the longer-term milestones should be deferred until progress towards 2020 can be reviewed?

Question 30: Do you consider there to be any further opportunities within the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing to promote equality issues. If so, please outline what action you would like us to take.