Industrial energy efficiency fund consultation
The clocks have moved forward, the nights are getting longer and the energy market is teeming with news. All good so far. Even better then, to hear that the government is inviting views on the design of the £315 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – as reported in Energy Live News.
The ‘information consultation’ is aimed at supporting businesses with high energy use, and is focused particularly on benefits and barriers surrounding industrial decarbonisation.
The consultation is available here. ‘The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) was announced in the autumn Budget in 2018,’ explains, the executive summary.
‘The Fund will support businesses with high energy use, such as energy intensive industries, to transition to a low carbon future. It will help companies cut their energy bills and carbon emissions through investing in energy efficiency and low carbon technologies. The IETF has a UK-wide budget of £315million over five years to 2024.’
The move comes as Government also opened a call for opinions on how to implement a new Business Energy Efficiency Scheme focused on SMEs. The energy efficiency scheme for small and medium sized businesses: call for evidence is keen to hear from any SME with a view on how best to design the programme.
“We are delighted to see this push from Government on overall business efficiency,” comments Kevin Cox, our Managing Director at Energys Group.
“It is essential that central support continues to mandate the transition to low carbon in real financial terms. Funding certainty is what business needs to get this essential work moving.”
MEES goes through
Meanwhile, Property Wire is reporting that new energy efficiency rules for properties in the private rented sector in England and Wales are now in force, with industry organisations urging those letting property to make sure they are compliant.
There appears concern that agents and landlords may be unaware that the Statutory Instrument to bring in the new energy efficiency regulations went through in the middle of March, setting out the new requirements to be in place from 01 April 2019.
Landlords with properties that have an energy performance rating of F or G will be expected to pay up to £3,500 from 01 April, in order to improve the energy efficiency rating of the property.
But many landlords should already be compliant; since April 2018 it has been a requirement for any properties in the private rented sector under new tenancies to have a minimum energy performance rating of E on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
Record breaking year for low carbon energy
Elsewhere, EDIE has taken a look at the latest Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) statistics, revealing that 2018 was a record year for low carbon.
Industrial energy consumption (including iron and steel) has fallen by 19% since 2008 to 92 Twh. Domestic consumption was improved by 12%, with BEIS attributing the fall in use to warmer temperatures and energy efficiency measures.
BEIS revealed UK emissions have now reached the same levels recorded in 1980, having fallen 3% last year. Statistics show this was largely driven by the ongoing phase out of coal in the energy mix.
And finally…
A new UK/China energy research centre has been created at Imperial College London. Specific work earmarked which could impact on the UK’s energy efficiency agenda includes whole-system analysis of low carbon, resilient power and energy infrastructure and the role of smart data systems to support this.
Further, the centre will research data-driven, futurist energy systems, the interactions between heat, gas, transport, electricity and water systems plus seek new policy, business and market models for intelligent, decarbonised and resilient energy systems.
