Home energy efficiency and demand reduction: Government Response to the Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2015-16

Improving energy efficiency brings a range of benefits to UK households, including lower energy bills, improved comfort and health and well-being, as well as helping to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions.

The Government has committed to ensuring that every home and business in the country is offered a smart meter by the end of 2020. This should help consumers identify where they may be wasting energy–helping them to lower bills.

The Government is also reforming the Energy Company Obligation and the Warm Home Discount to take on board lessons from previous policies and to make them simpler and more effective. We believe that the ECO obligation is the best way to tackle fuel poverty.

The Government’s view is that there is a need for a policy framework that is based less on subsidy. This will require more market-led approaches, underpinned by clear advice and robust standards. Fundamental to that is ensuring consumers have confidence in measures they install. Efforts are being made to ensure that consumers who carry out improvements to their homes will be properly supported and protected through a robust quality and standards framework.