The Sustainable Energy Association’s Christmas reception on the terrace of the House of Commons in December was a memorable night. It was an excellent opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made in 2017 and to welcome the Clean Growth Strategy. It was...
Blog
Oil boiler deployment under ECO: unintended consequences?
Whilst the release of the long-awaited Clean Growth Strategy and the publication’s celebration of low-carbon industries has been encouraging, the strategy recognised that the barriers to economy-wide decarbonisation remain significant and varied. Energy from...
I don’t want a faster horse!
Apparently, Henry Ford said, “if I had asked people what they wanted they would have said faster horses”. I heard something that reminded me of that this week – don’t move away from gas because “it’s what we have and what...
A ‘whole house’ (Commons and Lords) collaborative approach
A matter of weeks ago predictions were of a large Conservative majority following the election. This, it was claimed, would give Theresa May a mandate to negotiate a successful BREXIT deal. It is something of an understatement to say things have changed!The...
After a busy week of manifestos – the answer is common sense!
It’s been a busy week for printers, political commentators and member organisations like the Sustainable Energy Association as the party manifestos have been rolling out.First came the Labour Party with a commitment to insulate 4 million homes using interest...
Reducing energy bills? What’s the answer?
The focus, as during the last election, is on reducing bills by freezing or capping energy tariffs. This policy is set to divide opinion with supporters claiming it will fix a broken energy market and detractors claiming it will reduce competition and choice and...
The future is coming!
Coming from Newcastle I am very aware of the importance of coal and the part it played in powering this country and driving the Industrial Revolution. ‘Taking coal to Newcastle’ is an idiom describing a pointless action which stems from...
Energy Efficiency – A Policy Pathway
Too many of our homes are cold, leaky and inefficient. Yet many of us, including those classified as able to pay, face significant barriers to carrying out energy efficiency improvements. The Sustainable Energy Association (SEA) has developed a policy paper which sets...
Get Voting – 4th May
Whilst it is still very unclear what BREXIT will mean one thing is certain – it has increased interest in politics; record numbers of students are applying to study politics. So with this increased awareness of all things political, perhaps the time is right for the...
A ‘whole house’ approach to improving our homes
When we think of buildings and homes what springs to mind? A physical construction, a shelter with a roof, windows and doors where people live or work? Is a home the same as a building or is a home a more emotional thing – a building yes, but one with which we have a...
Healthier Homes Roundtable
As part of our policy development and engagement, we hosted a social housing and local authority roundtable focused on the installation of energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating on Tuesday 22nd November. The majority of social housing properties were built...
Hats off to Birmingham
As a Geordie living on the south east of England, I had, until I joined the Sustainable Energy Association (based in Solihull) four years ago, regarded the Midlands as somewhere I passed through on the way to visit family up north.I have over the years attended many...