Household Emissions Project
This project assessed the UK’s current policies to reduce carbon emissions from domestic buildings, and gained cross-Government agreement on recommendations for improvements to these policies.
Emissions from households’ use of electricity and heating were around 27% of UK’s total carbon emissions in 2005.
The household sector was identified for its potential for cost-effective emissions reductions, compared to other sectors. Extra gains from households could make up for difficulties in reducing emissions further in sectors with fewer cost effective solutions, e.g. transport.
It is generally in the interest of the householder to reduce their emissions, since carbon savings can often also equate to cash savings. However, the project identified three types of barriers that inhibit this behaviour. Firstly, there is the “hassle-factor” of taking action. Secondly, there are split incentives, which dissuade investment in energy efficiency measures when the benefits are enjoyed by someone else. Finally, many low carbon technologies are still low volume and expensive.
The project mapped the existing and planned policy suite, which it found to be fairly comprehensive. This comprises policies such as the Energy Efficiency Commitment and the proposed “supplier obligation”, Warm Front, Building Regulations, and the Energy Performance Certificate. We found that the policy suite should enable the household sector to contribute its share to the 2020 UK target for emissions reductions, but there will remain other cost-effective measures available.
This OCC project made recommendations to Ministers focusing on how existing policies might be built upon to help reach these remaining cost-effective measures.
Household Emissions Report 2007
For more information contact: enquiries@occ.gsi.gov.uk
Page last modified: 11-12-07
Page published: 27-11-07