Transition Brighton – Transport Group
Discussion at 25 July 07 Meeting
Aim:
Mobility to be as cheap, quick and accessible as possible while minimising carbon (C) emissions and use of fossil fuels.
Car and vehicle useage: fossil-fuelled vehicles increasingly more expensive to run or use, and other types of vehicle, car sharing, public transport and other forms of mobility or distribution more attractive.
Urban design to reduce travel distances to meet basic needs.
Ideas
These were shared in a brainstorm but not discussed or evaluated.
Intelligent Travel Planning and Mobility Advice Centres
Mobility service centres advising on best combination of modes of transport within the city and between city and elsewhere. Available also on internet.
See John Whitely – reduction of car use by 16% in just over a year in York.
Car or Van Sharing (14 car clubs in Brighton)
Commercial Car Club (book by tel and online, parked in streets by stations etc, enter by smart card, access key by pin number, pay fuel by club card in car. Pay as you go, around £5 hr with deals for weekends and increased use. (e.g. Whizzgo). But needs to fit with various needs (e.g. some cars dogs allowed and with automatic gears).
Neighbourhood, School, Work car sharing schemes.
Businesses sharing Storage, Distribution and Delivery Methods
More Home Deliveries from Businesses, Shops and Supermarkets
Subsidised home deliveries and/or parking levy in supermarkets.
Bike Sharing
Bikes available and accessed by smart card. (c,f, Paris Velolib scheme)
Clean Fuels and Energy
Public transport and public services using Electric (EV) or Hybrid (HEV) (gas-electric, diesel-electric – gas being LPG or methane, diesel being biodiesel), with electricity being increasingly green.
Methane from biowaste.
Collection points for biofuels, vegetable oil etc. (Building on Magpie).
Incentives for Clean Fuels
EVs and HEVs exempt from parking and congestion charges
Taxi licences cheaper for EVs and HEVs and other low C vehicles.
Advice on Low C, Energy-efficient Cars and Vehicles
Info on City and Transition Town websites.
Including info on where alternative fuels can be bought locally.
Tricycles
With electric dynamo (?) assistance
Public Transport Cheap, Frequent, Accessible
Dedicated lanes
More services to and from home for elderly or disabled
Tram from Marina to King Alfred or Hove lawns?
Car Free Zones and Pedestrian and Bike/Trike Areas
Increased, with set times for deliveries to businesses
More car free days.
Parking Charges
More expensive for fossil-fuelled and high C emission vehicles.
Congestion Charges
Traffic Calming
20 mph areas
Bike or Tricycle Lanes (Infrastructure priorities)
Easier to use bikes and to walk.
Bike lanes safe and free from parked cars.
Bike racks with shelters, bike storage in flats and houses, fold up bike.
School Journeys
Safe bike routes to schools, travelling in small groups.
Road Pricing for Inter-Urban Transport
Spatial and Land Use Planning
Re-ntegrate work and living spaces.
Use urban design to minimise car journeys to meet basic needs (work, school, shops etc)
More Use of Teleworking
Business Development Planning
Visitors and Tourism
Encouraged to use train, bus and bike, and locally hired clean fuel cars. (integrated travel planning and advice centres)
Regional Planning
Use of Rail (and Canals and Sea)
To distribute food and other goods
Next Steps
Meet to plan action short and longer term:
How Transition Brighton can be an effective mechanism for change.
What we can do (with funds if necessary) and where we need to work with local government and local businesses.
Key steps may well include:
Awareness raising
Analysis of city situation – including involvement of other residents in the process, and their needs and attitudes and readiness to change - as well as local government and business. .
Setting short and long term goals in the context of a 20 year perspective
Collecting data and identifying key measures for targets
Identifying quick wins – such as “intelligent travel planning” (looking at York’s experience), setting up info and advice on line and in travel centres, school cycle runs etc. Have successes well published.
Transport group – notes from meeting on 25th July
Sustainable Energy – notes from 25th July meeting
Sustainable Energy Group
Renewable Energy
What are the most appropriate renewable types for Brighton and Hove?
What have we got already?
Microgeneration and/or community renewable projects?
What potential funding is there?
Energy Efficiency
How can we conserve energy?
What is being done already?
How do we engage people to do more and raise awareness?
Fuel Poverty
Where are the target areas for fuel poverty in Brighton and Hove?
What partnership agencies could we work with and support?
What funding exists?
The Premise
Just a few questions to get this started. I don't know if anybody else has started work on this yet so apologies if Im covering similar ground but I haven't seen anything on the existing pages.
The main focus of this group would I suggest be to reduce carbon emissions, initiate and support sustainable energy projects and alleviate fuel poverty.
This group would need to co-ordinate closely with health, building, transport and climate issues and engage with existing agencies.
A good starting point would be to scope all existing sustainable energy initiatives that are aligned to the transition process.
Please comment and get in touch.
Integrating with what we already have
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Discussion Group – 25 Jul 07
(No significance in the order as these were positioned around the word “integration” in the centre)
Brighton Permaculture Trust
Energy Advice Centre
Business Community Partnership
Community and Neighbourhood Renewal Organisations and Groups
Scientists’ networks
Ecosys’ Directory of environmental and business organisations
B& H Food Partnership
Brighton Peace and Environment Centre (BPEC) and green pages (www.thegreenpages.org.uk )
The (planned) Green Centre with Directory and Notice boards (of campaigns etc)
Recycling co-operatives and businesses, e.g. Magpie, Furniture Now, Emaus(?)
Magpie Environment Trust
Green Drinks
Friends of the Earth
2020 Community Partnership (of partnerships) – with planned climate change strategy
Open Strategy (technology and software) for groups to connect and align.
One Planet Living (WWF and Bioregional) – integrate with their forthcoming plan (nationally and locally)
Stanmer Organics
Cowley Club
Sustainability Strategy team at B&H Council (for support)
Eco-Schools
Media: Argus/Leader, Radio (Juice, S Counties, Reverb?), Weblogs, Advertising
Business working group – notes from 25th July meeting
Follow up to Transition Town Brighton & Hove 1st Meeting 25 July 07 by Martin Grimshaw
Business working group
I was inspired by the presentation from Lewes TT to jot the words Business (economics?) on a sheet and see what happened next. A handful of people gathered and we started a discussion, which could at best be termed preliminary and exploratory. Below is a few provoking thoughts scribbled down listening to those discussions.
I have thoughts but I do not have any particular aims because I would like the aims of this group to evolve from discussions among anyone who cares to participate. Anyone else interested?
Thought shower summary:
What is this group for, what should it try to achieve?
How do we go about it?
Role of new technology, transition technology (Business Development Agency)
Engagement, what can we learn, what can we share?
Examples of Best Practice
What can we learn from good examples in business community in B&H? (ie Sam's employers...200 employees, not particularly 'green'....planning to go carbon neutral, reduce impact, fly less etc)...what is Amex doing?
Enable network of local businesses >> link up with + into TTBH
Forging links
Is there already a business network already that is specifically for greening business? If yes, can we link up and exchange ideas? If not, why not??!! [there are business networks and Brighton Business Forum has a climate change page but it's rather lightweight. The president of Brighton Chamber of Commerce is also an academic at one of the Universities so likely to be interested...there may be others??]
Small business / big business
Small, local sustainable business networks (advice, support etc)? [Big and sustainable??]
Growing trend of green 'trendiness'...turn a trend into something solid?
Money is the big motivator for business, ie saving costs.....
....or is it? Job / life satisfaction, feeling of wanting to do our bit., look good against competitors, customers....
I am willing to help push this forward, especially as it overlaps with other interests, but I will be limited as to how much energy I can put into the project over the next few months.
Kind regards
Martin
Health Care group – notes from 25th July meeting
Following the gathering on the 25th July 2007 and the formation of smaller groups to discuss and progress certain specific ideas I would like to work towards the formation of a group to cultivate, organise and proliferate information for:
- helping create stronger links and sharing of information/approaches between 'western medicine' and 'alternative/holistic therapies'
- holding healing groups where individuals from all backgrounds can learn/suggest more about 'alternative/holistic therapies'
- creating literature to help patients learn more about their own healing process / empower themselves / the whole range of possible treatments that may suit their needs
- ? (needs YOUR input)
As with all of this movement it is important to work together and 'follow the project' - as opposed to relying on one individual to muster the whole effort!
to recap, some of the fundamental aims of this project are:
- Slower is better
- Empower others, do them a favour, it's your responsibility to do this
- don’t act on all ideas straight away
- train up other people
- project led NOT people led
early days yet, I will be around and taking part in this as much as I can
please feel free to contact me ade@humanmachine.org.uk
best wishes, Ade
Notes from Discussion 25 July 07
Clean Air, Pure clean Water, Healthy Soil, Good Nutrition
Educate children more in keeping healthy (Link to Education Action Group)
Educate about local remedies (e.g. white willow etc) as alternative to chargeable medicines
Alternative healthcare as integrated part of GP surgeries?
(Voucher system available freely for public)
Alternative practitioners working with GPs, surgeries and hospitals.Each empowering the other on the care that can be offered
Elderly and vulnerable who do not have carers having access to a buddying system
(Care in the Community)
Sourcing of food to hospitals – organic gardens and farms.
Herbal gardens for the community – opportunity to learn about plants and herbs hands-on (Link to Education and Food action groups)
Independently funded research into herbal medicine
(Current pharmaceutical funding to gather evidence on herbal medicine but the circulation of accurate info may be restricted)
Forums and space for pooling ideas on health care and research into alternative medicine
Healing days
Reference Library
Pooling of Skills
Info on effects on health of man-made chemicals
Link in network:
Barbara Ann Brennan – Active Lightworks Project
Participants: Ade, Annie, David, Hermione, John and Ming Wu and 2 others interested – 8 in all so far.
Education and Awareness Actions – current progress
The following list is of ongoing actions to raise educate about and raise awareness of Transition Brighton and Hove and its aims.
Those actions requiring specific help at this time have the 'Help needed' line highlighted in blue. If you have suggestions for the actions, add them on the forum (forum link under each action). If you can offer help, contact details for coordinators are either shown as email addresses, or the name given is the person's username on the forum, which you can find on the Memberlist (you'll need to register and log in do this).
And of course if you want to start a new Education and Awareness action that's not listed here, contact the website so the help you need can be advertised to all.Education
Free Schooling days
Talks and classes on various transition-related subjects. Already planned and on the website (look for 'Free School' in the events list on the main page)
Co-ordinator: Jo
Forum link
Creation of libraries and resources
Co-ordinators: maureenwinder and Jonny Chowns
Help needed: Funding, book donations, mobile library
Forum link
Workshops in schools
Co-ordinator: Persephone (persephone_bayley*at*yahoo.co.uk)
Help needed: ?
Forum link
Workshops in companies
Co-ordinator: Jonny (jonnywhiting*at*gmail.com)
Help needed: ?
Forum linkAwareness raising
Publicity in the media
More articles in the media
Co-ordinators: Beth (wine_and_corduroy *at* hotmail.com), dolygarcia, Simon Brett
Help needed: all groups to publish their news on the website so have material to contribute
Forum link
Articles in community newsletters
Co-ordinator: Rob Stephenson
Help needed: ?
Forum link
Invite documentaries to be made
Invite TV companies, etc to make documentaries about Transtion B&H and the transition movement in general
Co-ordinators: Jonny (jonnywhiting*at*gmail.com) and Doly (lu_is_na*at*yahoo.com)
Help needed: ?
Forum link
Survey what people already know
about Climate Change, Peak Oil, Transition Towns, and get the results on South Today.
Co-ordinator: Gerry Goldsmith (01273 821780)
Help needed: ?
Forum linkTalks and film screenings
DVD club
Circulation and screening of transition-related films to groups of people at home. An updated list of relevant films can be found here. Please suggest more to the website.
Co-ordinator: Charley (charleyx*at*homecall.co.uk)
Help needed: locating films, dealing with copyright issues. Do you own one of these DVDs and can you host a DVD home screening?
Forum link
Screenings of Transtion-related films
One-off showings of films such as End of Suburbia, The Power of Community, etc at Duke of Yorks and other community halls. Followed by discussion/Q & A panel to inform people as to what can be done about the problems they have seen
Co-ordinator: Andrew (01273 734259)
Help needed: ?
Forum linkProduction of Transition B&H promotional materials
Transtion trailer before films at a local cinema
Co-ordinator: Simon (si_giddings*at*yahoo.co.uk)
Help needed: images and footage of Brighton, old and new; transition core message and information pack (from other action groups)
Forum link
Transition flyers for shops/handing out at events
First flyer has been designed: view PDF
Co-ordinator: Kat Neeser (katneeser *at* hotmail.com)
Help needed: people who can print out colour photocopies
Forum link
Multimedia pack
Co-ordinator: Victoria (victoria.imelda@btinternet.com)
Help needed: transition core message (from hub)
Forum link
Stickers in shops
Produce sticker saying "I'm supporting TB&H" or some such wording, and ask all shops who might be sympathetic to display in their window
Co-ordinator: Jonny (jonnywhiting*at*gmail.com)
Help needed: production of logo (being done by hub)
Forum linkOther
Eco-Open House in Brighton Festival
Co-ordinator: Charley (charleyx*at*homecall.co.uk
Help needed: ?
Forum link
Publicity stunts
Co-ordinator: Lily (junglistlily*at*hotmail.com)
Help needed: ?
Forum link
Films of Transition talks
Transition Town founder Rob Hopkins explains about Transition Towns and the idea of resilience (in a video presentation he gave to the International Forum on Globalisation)
YouTube video by Alex Munslow.
Part 1
Part 2 | Part 3
Rob Hopkins on the 12 steps of the Transition process
YouTube video by Alex Munslow.
Part 1: Steps 1-6
Part 2: Steps 7–12
Friends of the Earth's Tony Juniper at Transition Town Lewes
Political responses to climate change – a talk by Tony Juniper, director of Friends of the Earth, Wednesday 28th November 2007, Pelham House, Lewes. YouTube video by Alex Munslow.
Part 1
Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
Richard Heinberg discusses Peak Oil at Transition Town Stroud
YouTube video by Alex Munslow.
Part 1
Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7
Can you imagine Bristol after oil? – Jeremy Leggett
Jeremy Leggett, executive chairman of solarcentury, talks to Transition City Bristol about peak oil and life after oil, 25th November 2007.
Part 1
Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Transition Town Lewes – talk by Molly Scott Kato on local money, 24 October 2007
YouTube video in five parts by Alex Munslow.
Part 1
Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
Climate Change links
Climate change Wikipedia page
The science of climate change
Real Climate – a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists
commentary
Climate Denial – the psychology of climate change denial
MarkLynas.org – blog by Six Degrees author and climate campaigner
Monbiot.com – climate campaigner George Monbiot's climate change articles
Organisations and campaigns
See Brighton Climate Change's list here
films
A list of films about Climate Change here.
books
A list of books about Climate Change here.
Green Buildings and Builders – Notes from Discussion Group 25 July 07
Questions
How best reduce carbon emissions in houses, flats and buildings?
(Look at Green Homes project in GLA offering advice to homeowners)
How can we persuade people to pay more to buy insulation or change to underfloor pipe heating and eco appliances to save energy, dual water systems, eco-materials etc?
Building products derived from oil are usually also high in toxicity
Change Energy Supplier
Planning Issues
Local Planning processes. National planning legislation.
Advice and Awareness Raising
See local networks
Local Network to Link to and Partner with
Advisors, Presentations, Examples and visits for Awareness raising:
James Farrell Building Group
Paul Early – eco-renovation (website and address – 4 Whichels Place)
Examples of Eco-renovated houses in Brighton Festival
Earthship visits (Sunday morning – and link to low carbon network
Nicola Thomas – eco-renovation presentation for awareness raising (Transition Brighton network) nt@nicolathomas.co.uk
Green Architecture Day at Brighton Permaculture Trust
Green Pages Directory
St Nicholas Church Gardens project? (Link to Philippa Sankey of CMPCA (community association) p.sankey1@ntlworld.com
Low impact buildings for community use
(e.g. Jubilee Library?)
Brighton and the coming energy crisis
To download this report as a Word document, click here.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Transport energy consumption
2.1. Current situation in the UK
2.2. Trends in an oil and gas crisis
2.3. Brighton in an oil and gas crisis
2.4. Recommendations for individuals
2.5. Recommendations for businesses and organizations
2.6. Recommendations for the local government
3. Other energy consumption
3.1. Current situation in the UK
3.1.1. Domestic energy consumption
3.1.2. Industrial energy consumption
3.1.3. Service energy consumption
3.2. Trends in an oil and gas crisis
3.3. Brighton in an oil and gas crisis
3.4. Recommendations for individuals
3.5. Recommendations for businesses and organizations
3.6. Recommendations for the local government
4. Socio-economic consequences
4.1. Current situation in the UK
4.2. Trends in an oil and gas crisis
4.3. Brighton in an oil and gas crisis
4.4. Recommendations for individuals
4.5. Recommendations for businesses and organizations
4.6. Recommendations for the local government
5. References1. Introduction
There have been numerous studies that suggest that the world is going to face an energy crisis soon (so soon that it may have started already), due to physical limits in the amount of oil and gas that can be produced.
This study won’t address the issues of whether we are reaching the world peak in oil and/or gas production, but rather, assumes that the theory that peak oil and gas will happen within the next 10 years is correct. If this were true, what would be the consequences for Brighton? And what can be done to be prepared for such an eventuality, by individuals, companies, and the Brighton council? The aim of this study is to answer these questions.
For this, we have looked into all the areas that we considered relevant, from the ones that would be most immediately impacted (transport) to the most remote (socioeconomic implications). In each area, we have considered the current situation in the UK, then the trends that are to be expected in an energy crisis due to peak oil and gas, and finally, the specific considerations for Brighton.
We hope that this study will drive every person who reads it to action, in whatever spheres action is possible for them.2. Transport energy consumption
2.1. Current situation in the UK
Transport forms a key part of our everyday lives, both because the products that we buy are often transported over long distances and because people often travel for personal or business reasons.
Transport energy consumption has almost doubled since 1970.
Chart 2.1
Almost all the energy used in transport comes from petroleum-based fuels. The only method of transport that uses another type of energy is electric rail, which accounts for less than 1% of all energy used for transport.
Chart 2.2
Transport can be considered in two ways, in terms of people (passengers) and in terms of goods (freight). While it is difficult to split rail, water and air transport into clear breakdowns of passenger and freight, it is more straightforward to calculate a breakdown for road transport. It is estimated that about two thirds of the energy used in road transport was from road passengers and the rest from road freight. Since 1990, road freight energy consumption has increased by 17%, whereas road passenger energy consumption has remained almost the same, increasing by just 1%.
Changes in transport energy consumption can occur for efficiency, technological or economic reasons. Changes between 1990 and 2000 can be attributed to two factors: output (change in miles travelled) and intensity (change in the amount of energy needed per mile). Of the overall change in the transport sector between 1990 and 2000, it is estimated that 90% was due to changes in output while the remaining 10% was due to intensity changes. Road transport intensity has varied little: freight energy intensity has increased by 4% since 1990, while energy intensity in the road passenger sub-sector has fallen by 2% since 1990. This indicates that it is much easier to change output (distance travelled) than it is to change intensity, or efficiency.
The change in the amount of freight moved, measured in tonne-kilometres, is shown in the chart below. Half of the total tonne-kilometres were met by road. Between 1970 and 2000 the amount of freight moved by road rose by 86%. The increase has been enabled by an improved road network that can accommodate larger and heavier vehicles.
Chart 2.3
In 2000, 721 billion passenger kilometres were travelled in Great Britain. This corresponds to 12 thousand kilometres per person. Passenger kilometres from air and rail have increased since 1970, whereas passenger kilometres from buses have fallen over the same time period.
Chart 2.4
Car occupancy rates for commuting and business related journeys are low, at an average of between 1.1 and 1.2 people per car. Average occupancy rates in 1998/2000 for family holidays were 2.2 people per car, for education 2.1, and 1.9 for leisure.
2.2. Trends in an oil and gas crisis
All forms of transport will be affected with peak oil and gas. As we have seen already, almost all forms of transport currently used in the UK, use some form of petroleum-based fuel.
The only exception is electric rail. But as much of our electricity comes from power stations that use natural gas as its main fuel, it would be hasty to assume that electric rail will not suffer. Still, as there are ready available alternatives to natural gas in the production of electricity, it’s fairly likely that there will be a trend towards more electric and less diesel trains.
Not all forms of petroleum-based transport will be affected equally. This is for two reasons:
1) With peak oil there will be more scarcity of light oil than of heavy oil. This means that light fuels (such as gasoline) will be harder to acquire than heavier fuels.
2) Some forms of transport are more energy intensive (use more energy per kilometer and tonne) than others. It will be relatively cheaper to use transport that is more energy efficient.
The lightest fuel used in transport is gasoline (petrol). The heaviest is diesel or gas oil. Kerosene, used for aviation fuel, is intermediate. It’s possible to deduce from this a trend towards diesel motors in road transport. Diesel is also more energy dense, which means that average miles per litre or gallon is higher in diesel vehicles than in gasoline vehicles.
The following graph shows the big differences in energy intensity of different forms of transport:
Chart 2.5
It is reasonable to assume that freight transport by sea and rail will increase. Passenger transport by rail is also likely to increase and air transport will decrease.
It’s possible that, at some point in the future, the UK will be confronted with real shortages of petroleum-based fuels. This is likely to affect air and road transport more heavily, as the preference is most likely to be to keep well stocked the most energy-efficient and essential transport.
High transport prices and transport disruptions will affect more strongly those companies most dependent on transport. It’s easy to identify the two categories of companies most affected:
1) Transport companies, especially those using the least energy-efficient methods of transport (airlines, haulers, couriers, etc.)
2) Heavy users of transport: Those companies that need frequent and/or abundant supply and/or distribution.
Chart 2.6
The chart above gives a breakdown of which company types use transport most heavily. We can deduce from this that the companies most affected by a rise on transport prices will be mostly in one of the following categories:
- Food industry
- Building industry
- Producers of manufactured consumer goods, with those producing goods that are at the same time cheap, heavy or bulky and frequently used most affected (like cheap furniture or toys).
In the area of personal travel, the chart below shows how many miles are traveled for each purpose:
Chart 2.7
The most obvious way a person can cut personal travel is reducing on leisure travel (holidays, nights out, etc.) Commuting and business travel is another big part of personal travel, but most people have limited options to reduce that type of traveling. It is reasonable to predict a trend towards a reduction in leisure traveling, and change in holiday locations to places closer to home.
2.3. Brighton in an oil and gas crisis
Brighton’s average miles per person per year is higher than the national average (around 8,000, compared with a national average of around 7,000). Part of the reason for this is probably that the average salaries are higher, too, which means that locals can afford it. But it would be careless to discount other factors, mainly the proximity to London. There is a significant population of commuters to London, and it’s also a favourite destination for leisure activities and occasional shopping.
Commuters are a significant fraction of the total workers. 17% of Brighton workers travel 20km or more to work. And 48% of workers use a car to go to work, either as a driver or as a passenger. Given that for most people it’s difficult and slow to change job to a workplace closer to home or change home to a location closer to the workplace, with rising petrol prices their options are reduced. Some will be able to switch to a more efficient mode of transport, and others will have to cut spending in other areas.
Brighton is very well communicated in all forms of transport. If there were any transport disruptions, Brighton is unlikely to be any worse off than London.
Brighton isn’t a major manufacturing center, so there are few industries that would be affected by rising cost of transport. But there is a large amount of catering business, and there has been so far little effort on part of the business to obtain food from local farmers. As food prices rise due to more expensive transport, they will have to look at local sources.
Brighton is also one of the few tourist destinations within the UK. When people in other parts of the country choose to give up on holidays abroad because airplane fares are getting too expensive, Brighton could experience a new boom in tourism.
2.4. Recommendations for individuals
There are several ways individuals can deal with high petrol prices and transport issues. The chart on the Trends section showed which were the main purposes individuals have for traveling. We will consider each of the main purposes separately.
1. Leisure. This is an area where individuals can easily reduce traveling. Reducing the numbers of leisure trips and choosing destinations closer to home are lifestyle options available to all.
2. Commuting and business. Business travel will be studied in the next section, which deals with recommendations for businesses and organizations. As for commuting, there are a number of alternatives worth considering:
a. Public transport (trains and buses).
b. Cycling.
c. Car pooling with colleagues.
d. A more fuel efficient vehicle (a smaller vehicle, a hybrid or a motorcycle).
e. Teleworking.
3. Shopping. Almost all Brighton residents can do their grocery shopping in shops within walking distance. For any other shopping, it’s sensible to wait until the weekend and do one shopping trip a week to the centre of town, unless it’s an emergency. To buy articles that aren’t available in Brighton, it’s often possible to acquire them by catalog or over the Internet.
4. Education and escorting education. Public transport is almost always available to reach educational institutions.
Individuals owning a car should consider if it is at all possible to do without it. Many people have found that a combination of public transport, cycling, taxis and hiring vehicles when needed provide successfully all their transportation needs, at a much cheaper total cost. If this isn’t practical, due consideration should be given to switching to a more efficient vehicle (a smaller car, a hybrid or a motorcycle.) Even if changing to a different vehicle isn’t possible, the least an individual can do is learn techniques of driving that are more fuel efficient. The Internet is a good resource to learn about “hypermiling”, or driving efficiently.
As a final recommendation, those who own a vehicle fuelled by oil-derived products (petrol or diesel) should find out if it’s possible for them to use biofuels. In Brighton, biofuels can be acquired from Shabitat, Saunder's Park, Lewes Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 4AY tel: 01273 677577
2.5. Recommendations for businesses and organizations
Businesses and organizations need transport for several reasons. We will consider each of them separately.
1. Acquisition of supplies. Local suppliers should be used whenever possible. Any supplies that need to travel long distances should be acquired in bulk, to reduce transport costs. If it’s possible to choose the means of transport, the one with the lowest energy intensity should be chosen (as seen in the graph above, the forms of transport from most to least efficient are marine, rail, road and air).
2. Distribution of products. Distribution should be in bulk whenever possible. If it’s possible to choose the means of transport, the one with the lowest energy intensity should be chosen. There have been cases where vegetables grown 1 mile from town were taken to a distribution depot 20 miles away, then back into town. This is wasteful and it will become more and more expensive. Nowadays, food travels an average of 123km before it reaches its final destination, compared with 82km in 1978. Finding the shortest and most efficient routes for distribution will be a worthwhile practice.
3. Business trips by employees. They should be limited as much as possible, especially by plane. Organizations should ensure that any mileage reimbursement rates are at a level which does not encourage additional travel and ensures that only essential travel is undertaken. Some of the possible ways of reducing the amount and length of business trips include:
a. Improved communication so traveling for face-to-face meetings becomes unnecessary.
b. Finding shorter routes for travel.
c. Having others travel instead of members of the company or organization.
4. Commuting by employees. Commuting is often considered as a problem of the employees exclusively, and the common view is that the employer doesn’t need to get involved in it. But, as transport costs increase, companies and organizations that ignore this issue may find that their employees demand higher salaries to cover the rising costs of commuting. Any company or organization that takes measures to deal with this issue will be ahead of the rest. Measures that help commuters may include:
a. Encouraging the use of public transport, for example, by negotiating discounts on public transport, or providing interest-free loans to buy yearly season tickets.
b. Providing facilities for cyclists, such as bicycle racks. Access to showers will make cycling more attractive.
c. Organizing an efficient car-pooling system among employees.
d. Raising awareness among employees about fuel efficiency.
e. Promoting teleworking in the company or organization.
f. Helping employees who wish to relocate closer to work, for example, by giving them free time for flat hunting.
Any vehicles used by the company or organization should be checked for efficiency, and substitution by more efficient vehicles should be done as soon as it’s practical. Also, for any vehicle that uses oil-derived products (petrol or diesel), it should be studied if using biofuels is a possibility.
Any business or organization can benefit from having a travel plan and establishing partnerships to collaborate in travel planning. A copy of ‘A Travel Plan resource pack for employers’ from the Energy Saving Trust contains information about travel planning, what a travel plan is, measurement and evaluation, promotion and presenting the benefits to secure senior buy-in.
Finally, companies that operate in the transport service may find it increasingly difficult to provide a competitive service. Moving into more essential areas within the business (transport of more essential goods) can be a good strategic approach.
2.6. Recommendations for the local government
The local council should make one of its priorities to promote transport efficiency at all levels. Firstly, it should lead the way, by reducing any unnecessary travel within the public sector and applying to itself the recommendations above for businesses and organizations. The Council should consider greener, cheaper, alternative fuels for council vehicles, for example, using biodiesel in older 'out of warranty vehicles’ and consider biogas from landfill waste to fuel refuse trucks. The Council should also look at the newer hybrid and electric vans. There are grants for installing alternative fuels infrastructure that should be considered. The Energy Saving Trust will provide a consultant to look at the local government fleet for free, and give advice about how to increase its efficiency and save money, fuel and carbon emissions.
Secondly, it should help people to reduce their traveling and to use more efficient transport.
To promote a reduction in traveling, the Council can:
1. Refuse to approve developments that are mostly residential and do not contain enough shopping areas for the needs of the residents. Mixed developments, where residents can also easily find jobs within the area, should be encouraged.
2. Work towards decentralization of schools. Many small schools well distributed across town are preferable to a few schools. Public transport should be available to all students.
3. Promote teleworking, especially among small businesses, that are often not aware of the possibility.
4. Promote the use of local suppliers for all businesses and organizations.
5. Study which types of jobs are held by commuters to London, and encourage companies that provide those jobs to locate in Brighton, so that commuting is reduced.
To promote more efficient transport, the Council can work in the following areas:
1. Public transport. Make it as attractive as possible. Ensure that information about public transport is available for all. Ensure that shopping areas and educational institutions are easily accessible by public transport.
2. Cycling. Increase the amount of cycle paths and facilities for cyclists, such as racks for bicycles. Start an education programme for drivers, in order to reduce accidents involving a bicycle.
3. Encouraging fuel efficiency. Start an education programme so people are aware of the most efficient transport options.
4. Promote biofuels. Work closely with suppliers of biofuels so that there is enough information on its use and a reasonable supply.
5. Promote responsible driving. Get copies of the Energy Saving Trust top ten tips for drivers, and distribute them to council drivers and commuters. Use the tips in leaflets for your local community.3. Other energy consumption
3.1. Current situation in the UK
3.1.1. Domestic energy consumption
The majority of energy consumed in the domestic sector is for space heating, which accounted for 58% of all delivered energy consumed in 2000 (see Chart 3.1). Space heating in any year is largely dependent on outside temperatures which explains the year-to-year fluctuations, although increases in internal temperatures, the growth in central heating and the increased number of households have all contributed to the increase over the period 1970 to 2000, despite the increased presence of insulation. The other major areas of energy consumption in the domestic sector are for heating water, for lighting and appliances and for cooking. Between 1970 and 2000, energy consumption in lighting and appliances increased by 157%, while energy use in cooking has fallen by 16%.
Chart 3.1
In 1970 gas (including town gas) accounted for 24% of total domestic energy consumption and for 67% by 2001, whereas coal accounted for 39% in 1970 and just 4% by 2001. Electricity consumption has increased by 50% over the period, mainly due to the increased use of electricity for lighting and appliances in the home. The individual countries within the UK have wide disparities in the mix of fuels used in the domestic sector.
The fuel mix in the domestic sector for space heating has changed significantly over the last three decades. In 1970 10% of households in Great Britain were centrally heated by gas and 9% used solid fuels. In 2000 71% used gas for central heating and just 3% used solid fuels. Electrical storage heating accounted for 6% of the total in 1970 and 9% in 2000. Less than a third of all housing stock in Great Britain had central heating in 1970. Thirty years later the proportion had risen to 89%.
In the area of electricity consumption, it should be noted that by 2000, energy consumption by cold appliances had increased by 274% on 1970 levels and was the second largest consuming group, after lighting. Lighting accounted for 23% of the total amount of electricity consumed for lighting and appliances in the domestic sector while cold appliances accounted for 22%.
3.1.2 Industrial energy consumption
Industrial energy consumption accounted for more than a fifth of all UK energy consumption in 2001, consuming 35,152 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent. In 2001 the largest sub-sector was the chemicals industry, accounting for 22% of all industrial energy consumption (mainly for the manufacture of basic chemicals), while the food, drink and tobacco industry consumed a further 12%. A fifth of all energy consumed in the food, drink and tobacco industry was for sugar manufacture, while a further 13% was used for making beverages and another 10% for the production, processing and preserving of meat and meat products.
Energy use in the industrial sector has changed as the structure and way that energy is used has
changed. Energy consumption has fallen by 44% since 1970 and by 9 % since 1990, although there was a change in definition used to classify the industrial sector between 1995 and 1996 - energy used in transformation activities, for example, manufacturing coke or generating electricity, is excluded from the total from 1996 onwards.
The use of different fuels within the industrial sector has also changed over time reflecting changes in the way that energy is used in different processes and industries. Since 1996, coal and oil consumption have fallen by 40% and 7% respectively. Chart 3.2 shows fuel use in the industrial sector in 2001. The share of natural gas consumed has increased from 41% of all energy consumed in 1996 in the industrial sector to 44% in 2001, replacing solid fuels which fell from 9% to 6% as technological changes have enabled alternative fuels to be used.
Chart 3.2
Between 1970 and 2001 overall energy consumption per unit of output, a measure of energy intensity, fell by 55% while industrial output rose by 26%. The reduction in overall industrial energy intensity since 1970 is partly due to the relative decline in the importance of energy intensive industry in the economy as less energy-intensive industry and services have become more prominent.
Energy intensity has also fallen due to improvements in energy efficiency and technologies used in production processes. Between 1997 and 1999 it is estimated that there was an overall energy efficiency improvement of 4% in the food and drink industry, 6% in the chemical sector and 9% in the textiles industry. The main methods to increase efficiency were improved energy management, fitting new boilers, improvements made to steam processes, improvements to motors and improvements to compressed air processes.
3.1.3. Service energy consumption
Service sector energy consumption (excluding agriculture) accounted for 13% of all final energy consumed for energy purposes in 2001.
The way that the service sector uses energy has changed over time. As in other sectors, consumption of coal and oil has fallen over the last thirty years as natural gas usage has increased. Since 1990 electricity consumption has more than doubled, mainly due to the growth in electrical equipment supporting service sector activities, such as information technology, air conditioning, medical and leisure equipment. In 2000 one third of all service sector electricity consumption is from the retail sector where electricity is mainly used for lighting, although shops vary considerably in their electricity needs, with certain types such as hairdressers and dry cleaners having high requirements. A further 14% of all service sector electricity consumption is from hotel and catering where electricity is mainly used for catering. The greater importance of lighting and air conditioning in the private commercial sector means that electricity accounts for a larger share in the private sector than in public services.
This large growth in electricity consumption means that the energy requirements of the service sector have grown by 29% since 1970 and by 12% since 1990 in primary energy equivalents. This measure takes into account the amount of energy required to generate the electricity consumed as well as the other fuels that are used as a direct energy source.
More than half of all energy consumed in the service sector was for space heating in 2000. Hot water energy consumption accounted for a further 9%, lighting for 14% and catering for an additional 10% of the total.
Chart 3.3
Of the increase of 2.4 million tonnes of oil equivalent between 1990 and 2000, it is estimated that service sector energy consumption would have increased by 6.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent due to changes in output, although this was offset by a 3.8 million tonnes of oil equivalent improvement in energy intensity, which consists of energy efficiency and structural changes within the public administration and commercial sub-sectors. This rise in intensity is due to a combination of more efficient heating systems, insulation, greater efficiency of lighting and electrical equipment and improved energy management leading to appliances being switched off when not in use.
The relative energy intensity of individual types of building in the service sector can also be measured by floor space. In 2000 77% of the total working population were employed in the service sector, an increase of 4% since 1994. The increased number of employees has resulted in an increase in floor area of 7% over the same period, requiring more energy for space heating.
3.2. Trends in an oil and gas crisis
The main impact of peak oil and gas on domestic, industrial and service energy consumption will be in the usage of natural gas, whether directly or indirectly (most indirect usage of natural gas is in the form of electricity).
Chart 3.4
In the early 1970s, following the advent of natural gas, gas consumption grew rapidly. Industrial consumption peaked 2000 and has fallen since then by around 20%. Over the last 20 years domestic consumption has grown by 30% and services consumption by 42%. However, since 1991 the growth in gas consumption has been dominated by its increasing use in electricity generation, which now accounts for 30% of all natural gas consumption.
The mix of fuels used for electricity generation has changed significantly in the past. Chart 3.5 shows the mix for 1990 compared with 2004. This gives us a clear idea of how fast it is possible to substitute one form of electricity generation for another, and means that a shortage in natural gas could be easily overcome, if alternative energy sources are available.
Chart 3.5
Finding substitutes for the natural gas from the North Sea oilfields is already a matter of urgency for the government. The UK began exporting natural gas in 1993 but did not become a net exporter of gas until 1997. Exports grew rapidly with the opening of the Bacton-Zeebrugge interconnector in 1998 and net exports reached their peak in 2003. In 2004, with the decline in UK natural gas production, exports of gas fell by 35% compared with 2003 and imports increased by 54% and the UK became a net importer of gas once again.
Chart 3.6
This data contrasts starkly with the projections for generation mix of electricity shown by the government, as seen in chart 3.7. It’s fairly clear that a proposal where natural gas covers the gap in demand that other fuels can’t supply is very unrealistic, taking into account that the UK is already a net importer of gas and that world gas is projected to peak around 2012.
Chart 3.7
While, in the case of transport, it’s clear that peak oil and gas will necessarily have a negative impact, because there aren’t any alternatives to oil-based transport that could be deployed in the short term, when it comes to the use of energy in the domestic, industrial and services sector, the picture is clearly different.
If the government and industry generally assume that natural gas will continue to be available from imports, there will be little building of infrastructure for alternatives to gas in electricity generation and heating. In that case, an oil and gas crisis will have a significant impact on the usage of energy in all sectors: domestic, industrial and services. On the other hand, if the government and industry generally assume that natural gas will be in short supply and build the necessary infrastructure, the transition could be very smooth and the general public may not even notice it.
If there is no effort to build the necessary infrastructure for heating, not all areas in the UK will be affected equally. It’s clear that the North needs more heating than the South, but different proportions of gas in the heating mix mean that there isn’t a direct relationship between geography and usage of gas. Chart 3.8 compares the usage of gas per domestic consumer in the different regions in the UK. The South West has the most moderate usage of gas, while the North East has the most intensive usage.
Chart 3.8
Similarly, not everybody will be equally affected by lack of capacity in electricity generation. Chart 3.9 shows the major users of electricity. More than half the electricity is used in domestic, commercial and public administration uses. Of the rest, losses and the energy industry itself use up about a sixth. Among industrial uses, chemicals, paper and printing and the food industry use the most electricity.
It’s worth remembering at this point that the food industry is also one of the major users of transport, and catering is one of the major users of electricity in the service sector. An oil and gas crisis would clearly affect the food industry more than most, and would possibly cause rises in prices of food across the board, but most especially for frozen and chilled foods.
Chart 3.9
3.3. Brighton in an oil and gas crisis
Brighton’s usage of gas per domestic consumer is lower than the national average. This is partly due to the milder climate, partly because the average size of flats is small, and partly because usage of gas for heating is lower than in other cities. Brighton also uses and less than half the average of gas for commercial and industrial uses, because there are no industries that make a heavy use of gas in the area.
Similarly, usage of electricity per domestic consumer is slightly lower than the national average, and industrial and commercial use is around half the average. Again, there are no major industrial or commercial users of electricity.
This means that a shortage of gas is likely to affect Brighton less than other places in Great Britain. However, we have already identified catering, that is one of the main business sectors in Brighton, as particularly vulnerable. Unless measures are taken to protect this sector, they are likely to suffer in an energy crisis.
Another concern is that some tourist attractions, especially the Palace Pier, use a great amount of electricity, possibly in a wasteful manner. If there were power cuts due to lack of capacity in the electrical networks, such tourist attractions could become much less profitable.
3.4 Recommendations for individuals
There are many ways individuals can cut on their domestic use of energy, and information is readily available from many sources on this subject. However, we will present here a brief overview on the matter.
The main usage of energy in most British homes is space heating, about 61%, followed by water heating, 23%. This means heating is the area where the most significant savings can be made.
Ideally, the hot water and the space heating system should be separate. This is because space heating isn’t necessary during the summer and can be turned off during the whole season, while hot water is needed all year round.
Of the fuels used in Britain for heating, two will be directly affected by peak oil and gas. Only 3% use fuel oil for heating, but 71% use gas. In the long term, users of both systems will have to change to something else. On the other hand, the second most commonly used heating method is electric heaters, and they are inefficient and subject to power cuts if there are electric capacity issues. In the short term, while an important fraction of electricity comes from gas, using electric heaters uses up more gas. Heating with coal has practically disappeared, and it’s environmentally undesirable. In short: none of the traditional methods of heating is at all satisfactory.
If solar thermal heating is a possibility in a particular home, it should definitely be considered. There are local installers of solar thermal systems, and the contact details are available on request. Geothermal methods (heat pumps) can also be very effective.
If it’s impractical or financially unfeasible to install an alternative heating system, the best choice for an individual is to stay with the system they already have (especially if they belong to the 89% of those in Brighton that have central heating), and improve efficiency with insulation. In time, the opportunity to change to a different system may present itself.
Significant improvements in heating costs can be made with insulation:
- Only 36% of people living in homes with cavity walls have cavity wall insulation, and it greatly improves energy efficiency, up to 33% of total heating costs.
- Insulating the loft space or a flat roof can provide up to 20% of savings.
- Sealing all gaps around doors, floors, windows and pipes can reduce costs up to 20%, if all gaps are taken care of.
- A properly insulated boiler can save significant amounts of energy in water heating, up to 60% in comparison with an uninsulated one.
- Hot water pipe insulation can save up to 6% of total heating costs.
For individuals who can't afford insulation, or who rent and can’t make such changes in their homes, even basic heat-saving measures can help. Some of them are:
- Heat only the rooms where there are people.
- Close the door of the room you are heating so heat can't escape. If your home doesn't have doors where you need them, at least put on heavy curtains.
- Make sure that your doors and windows fit exactly in their frames, and if they don’t, fill in the space with insulation.
- Heavy curtains can help to keep the warmth during the winter. But if your heater is under the window, the curtain shouldn't cover the heater, or the heat will be driven towards the outside.
- A thermostat can keep you warm and save energy as well, if it's installed correctly.
- Always replace washers on leaking taps, especially hot water ones. A leaking tap can waste liters of water every day, and a hot water tap doesn’t only waste water but the energy to heat it.
- Take showers instead of baths, as they use less hot water. If your bathroom only has a bath, convert it so it is also a shower.
The next main energy expenditure in the home is lighting and electrical appliances. Only 2% of the electricity is generated by oil-based products. But 37% is generated by natural gas, and the prices of electricity are already being affected by the decline in British gas production. Individuals need to be prepared for possible power cuts in the future.
There are some easy electricity conservation measures anybody can take. Everybody should get into the habit of switching off lights and appliances when they don’t use them. This also means not just leaving them in standby, but actually switching them off, and for those appliances that use a power adaptor, unplugging the power adaptor or switching off at the socket, not just on the appliance itself. Also, substituting electrical appliances for energy-efficient ones can be well worth the expense, and it can come naturally if people are advised to do it when the old ones break down. Lightbulbs are the best-known example, but the same effort to acquire the most energy-efficient option should be applied to any electrical equipment.
Ideally, individuals should strive to provide some of their electricity needs from alternative energy sources. Wind, solar and micro-hydro solutions are all worth looking at. The best solution will depend on the orientation and location of the house. In the past, planning permissions used to be an issue with some forms of alternative energy, but there have been great changes recently and the legal requirements have softened significantly.
To prepare for the eventuality of power cuts, it can be a good idea for individuals to make a list of the most important electrical appliances they use and get some alternatives to use on a power cut. For a start, everybody should have candles at home to make sure they will always have light. People with an electric cooker can get a camping gas bottle so they can cook during a power cut. For people with electric heating, a stove that uses gas bottles may be a good emergency solution. Those that keep important information in their home computer should consider an uninterruptible power supply to avoid losing data in the hard disk during a sudden power cut. Homeworkers that use a computer to work may want to use a laptop with a long battery life to be able to keep working.
The last area of energy usage in the home is cooking. When cooking, people should remember that the shorter time something takes to cook, the less energy it uses. Microwave ovens are ideal because they cook very fast. An energy-efficient electrical kitchen is possibly better than a gas one, because the rising costs of gas will affect it relatively less.
Whatever energy saving measures are taken, it’s important to check regularly the meter readings for gas and electricity, so people know how much energy they are saving. Some companies (like EDF) have a reward scheme for people who send regular meter readings, which make it easier for people to keep doing it. And reading the meters is of little use if the figures aren’t written down and compared to previous readings, so individuals are aware of their progress in energy usage.
3.5 Recommendations for businesses and organizations
For most commercial and office spaces, the same recommendations as for individuals apply.
It would take very long to describe all the energy-saving measures that other types of businesses could apply, so we will just give a brief list of the most successful ones:
- Improved energy management (switching off machines when not in use)
- Fitting more efficient boilers
- More efficient heating systems
- Insulation
- Improvements in steam distribution processes
- Improvements in compressed air systems
- Improvements in motors
- More efficient lighting
- More efficient electrical equipment
As described on previous sections, the catering sector is likely to be most affected in Brighton. So we will go into some more detail on the subject of energy saving on catering.
Cooking equipment
- Only preheat equipment that you are going to use.
- Preheat equipment just before you use it, not many minutes or hours in advance.
- Reduce the temperature or turn equipment off during quieter periods of the day.
- Whenever possible, use full production capacity.
- Use appropriately sized equipment for each particular operation.
- Remember that the greatest waste of energy in cooking is leaving equipment idling at operating temperature. Savings can result by simply turning equipment off whenever possible.
Hot food holding and transporting equipment
- Use equipment at full capacity.
- Check timing devices and thermostats regularly.
- Check door seals to ensure heat is retained.
Refrigeration equipment
- Make sure door gaskets fit snugly.
- Keep evaporator coils free of excessive frost.
- Keep condenser coils free of dust, lint, or anything that could reduce air circulation.
- Locate equipment away from heat sources.
- Open doors as little as possible.
- Place cold foods in the fridge or freezer as soon as they arrive from the supplier.
Dish washing equipment
- Select the most appropriately-sized machine for the job.
- Make sure the equipment is properly installed and adjusted.
- Fully load the machine for each cycle.
- Keep equipment clean and unclogged.
Water heating
- Locate the water heater as near as possible to the point of most frequent use.
- Wrap hot water pipes in insulation.
- Replace washers on leaking taps.
Kitchen ventilation system
- Only operate the number of fans required for the level of smoke and fumes at the time.
- Position the ventilation canopy to take advantage of the natural flow of air through the kitchen.
- Clean filters frequently, daily if necessary.
Lighting
- Use light sources with the highest relative efficiency. For example, use fluorescent or compact fluorescent globes wherever possible.
- Locate lights in order to optimise lighting of work areas.
- Don’t allow dirt to accumulate on lights.
For all equipment
- When purchasing equipment, ask suppliers about the energy consumption for each item. Running costs of equipment are ypically five to 10 times the purchase cost.
- Select a machine that is the most appropriate for the job, not too big, not too small.
- Keep equipment as clean as possible.
- Keep equipment in an optimum state of maintenance and repair any faults promptly.
3.6. Recommendations for the local government
The local council should make one of its priorities to promote energy efficiency at all levels. Firstly, it should lead by example, by reducing energy usage within the public sector and applying to itself the recommendations above for businesses and organizations. It should take every opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of council buildings and reduce fuel bills. The Carbon Trust can be contacted for more information. It should also ensure energy efficient policies are put in place by all sub-contractors, which exerts pressure down the supply chain to improve energy performance. One area where significant changes can be made is in street and traffic lights, which should all be changed to the most energy-efficient options.
Secondly, it should help people to reduce their energy use. The Council can:
1. In the case of new developments, there is much scope to encourage energy efficiency. In December 1998 local authorities were granted a general disposal consent enabling them to accept tenders up to 20% (land value £1 million or less) or 10% (in the case of higher values) lower than the land value. Local authorities are therefore no longer required to maximize income from land sales, but can consider lower bids within a certain range. It is recommended that this change is brought to the attention of local authorities along with information regarding the opportunities for using this as a mechanism for encouraging energy efficient housing developments. Local authority attention should also be drawn to existing government guidance on attaching monetary values to environmental benefits, published in ‘The Green Book – Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government’. This information could be incorporated into the appropriate planning policy guidelines.
2. Offer advice and support to developers to ensure they meet the highest energy efficiency standards in the most cost effective manner. Keeping developers on side will ensure highest standards achieved at lowest cost.
3. Introduce a prescriptive energy efficiency planning policy - require developers to comply with a prescriptive policy in the implementation of their development. There is a case study on the London Borough of Merton's use of a planning condition on non-residential buildings over 1,000 square meters to incorporate sustainable energy in developments.
4. Set energy efficiency standards that go beyond current building regulations in the design, construction and refurbishment of homes.
5. Provide advice on energy efficiency/renewable energy to householders applying for planning permission. This will maximise the opportunity for the uptake of energy efficiency measures when building work is undertaken. Help to remove barriers to renewable energy within domestic installations by ensuring householders requesting planning permission for renewable energy installations are well advised.
6. Ensure the Council is proactively working with energy suppliers in offering Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) funding and other support to householders. The equivalent of more than £1 billion of ECC funding for energy efficiency measures is available 2005-08. Make sure that people are familiar with all the grant schemes available in the area so that householders can be directed to them. Find out what grants are available for householders, developers, and community groups wishing to undertake renewables projects. Become familiar with the Energy Saving Trust’s funding database.
7. Provide advice for developers and installers of renewable technologies. The Energy Saving Trust can provide a list of accredited renewables and there is also information on how to become an accredited installer and what advantages and benefits this would bring.
8. Set targets for reducing energy use in social housing. Consider providing information to tenants and making energy efficiency improvements to the stock. This can be tied in with affordable warmth targets.
9. Encourage compliance with acceptable standards of energy saving in all buildings, specially old ones, by ensuring that Energy Performance Certificates are made for all buildings on construction, on sale and on rent.4. Socio-economic consequences
4.1 Current situation in the UK
If we look at long-term historical trends of the economy, we can see it’s remained rather stable for the last 15 years. Both inflation (Chart 4.1) and economic growth (Chart 4.2) have remained within comfortable limits. In fact, it’s been stable for long enough that most people assume that this is the natural state for the economy, and expect it to remain within these reasonable limits for the foreseeable future.
Chart 4.1
