POlicy nEwS All the latest news from around the building industry Fury at government plan to abolish dEcs Changes would enable public sector to hide their wastefulness The industry has reacted furiously to the governments proposal to abolish Display Energy Certificates (DECs) for 54,000 public buildings in England and Wales. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has started a consultation process aimed at removing the legal requirement for DECs, to help streamline and improve the current system. It added that scrapping DECs would be in line with government policy not to goldplate European Union directives ie, not to go further than the minimum requirements. The objective is to simplify the regulatory regime as it applies to public buildings, taking appropriate advantage of the flexibilities afforded by the directive, while continuing to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and minimising unnecessary burdens upon the public purse and, ultimately, the taxpayer, the consultation document states. However, CIBSE technical director, Hywel Davies, said the proposal demonstrated bizarre double standards. At the same time as the government is proposing these changes, it is requiring the private sector to provide accurate metering data for billing, he said. It seems bizarre for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to introduce these regulations, while DCLG is trying to enable energyprofligate public sector bodies to hide their wastefulness. Davies added: There is no evidence base to justify these changes, and it is very likely that it will be far more expensive to respond to Freedom of Information requests for the information currently in DECs, than to maintain and take advantage of the DECs. Public buildings of more than 1,000m have had to have a DEC since 2008. Buildings of more than 500m, but below 1,000m, have to have one every 10 years and, in 2011, the government said it would extend this requirement to all commercial buildings. David Frise, head of sustainability at the Building and Engineering Services Association, said the U-turn was political point scoring ahead of the General Election. DCLG has said it is aware of concerns that reducing the frequency or reach of DECs could make it more difficult to manage energy performance of large public estates. eor Rmade tHe Hole in tHe miDDle oF energY PolicY bY bill borDass First for Bristol as council sets up municipal energy company 1000 WORDS / SHUTTERSTOCK Bristol City Council plans to set up a municipal energy company. Bristol Energy would be one of the first such firms owned by a local authority to support the provision of a municipal energy supply, delivering social, economic and environmental benefits. Bill Edrich, director of the councils Energy Service said: Customers would be guaranteed competitive, fair and simple energy tariffs with any profits reinvested back into local communities. The company will also provide low carbon electricity with a focus on sourcing power from local places, he said. Bristol Energy will also become the vehicle for delivering domestic energy efficiency initiatives and investment in local sustainable energy projects, according to the council, which is also developing plans for district heating networks, consisting of a system of underground pipes supplying businesses and public sector organisations. Obama wants uS$48bn for green incentives US President Barack Obama has included provision for US$48bn in his 2016 budget proposal to Congress, to cover tax incentives in support of renewables and energy efficiency improvements over the next decade. In order to secure Americas energy future and protect our children from the impacts of climate change, the budget invests in clean energy, improving energy security, and enhancing preparedness and resilience to climate change, a White House statement said. Tax breaks for green energy and carbon capture producers along with wider adoption of energy efficiency measures are expected to increase the US budget deficit by $42.5bn by 2025. The budget Southampton MP attempts to close landlord loophole New regulations exclude up to a million multipleoccupation houses Southampton MP Alan Whitehead is trying to get Parliament to close a loophole in new regulations designed to prevent landlords from letting energyinefficient homes. From April 2018, landlords will be legally required to upgrade properties to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least Band E, but houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) are excluded. There are thought to be around a million such properties. Whitehead said the regulations were good news, but they would not apply widely enough and would still leave many tenants at the mercy of landlords unwilling to improve their accommodation. The failure to bring HMOs within the scope of this legislation will leave a substantial amount of the private-rented sector unprotected against leaky, cold properties. He said he was trying to address the issue through a Private Members Bill, but added that it would urgently need addressing by the next government. Financial support to help landlords upgrade properties would be made available through the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. From April 2016, tenants will have the right to request efficiency improvements, which the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse. A property is defined as an HMO if it has three or more tenants each with a separate rental agreement. also includes subsidies for alternative fuel vehicles and energy efficient homes that will increase the deficit by $5.8bn. These investments support the Presidents Climate Action Plan, helping to expand American leadership in the clean energy economy with new businesses, jobs, and opportunities for American workers, the White House added. Energy improvements neglected by ministers Emphasis is on switching suppliers not on tackling energy waste The Trade Unions Congress (TUC) has attacked the government for failing to help businesses cut their energy consumption. The organisations report Money to Burn claims energy efficiency improvements have flatlined since 2007 because of failing and overly complex government policies. It suggests that the government has neglected energy efficiency measures such as better heating, ventilation and lighting to focus on increasing power generation. As a result, British businesses spend millions of pounds more on energy than they should. The report also says there has been too much emphasis on encouraging energy users to switch suppliers in search of a better tariff, rather than tackling the root causes of energy waste. The TUC has also attacked Energy Performance Certificates rules including those designed to force landlords to improve rental properties by 2018 as not being ambitious enough to make any difference. Clamping down onenergy waste is a win-win for businesses, the government, and the environment. Even small businesses can save far more from energy efficiency measures than by switching suppliers, said TUC general secretary Frances OGrady. Better regulations backed by access to finance, energy advice, and encouraging green workplaces would help tackle this pointless and expensive frittering away of energy. ThE hOlE in ThE MiddlE OF EnERgy POlicy bY bill borDass On 14 February, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband signed a joint climate pledge that included a commitment to accelerate the transition to a competitive, energyefficient low carbon economy. How do you know if a building is energy efficient? By making its in-use performance visible and actionable. Which policy instrument helps to do this? DECs. They have revealed major performance gaps between expectations and outcomes, but massive potential for cost-effective improvement, as seen at the Department of Energy and Climate Changes Westminster HQ, and DCLGs offices in Birmingham. So shouldnt buildings and energy policy converge to get a good DEC and then improve it for public and commercial structures? The 2011 Energy Bill, supported by the UK Green Building Council and others, proposed this. Incredibly, the Treasury removed the clause, regarding DECs as red tape. DECs can be cheap and easy to do, but having failed to support them properly DCLG now wants to abandon them, dismissing what ought to be the focal point of energy policy as gold plating of an EU directive. What planet are they on? Certainly not the low carbon one to which our party leaders "