New DECC energy efficiency group is step in the right direction

Thursday 9th February 2012

Energy efficiency and smart grid website Greenbang reported this week on the Government’s increasing focus on energy efficiency. Britain’s new Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey has created a new division – the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office (EEDO).

As the announcement from DECC states, the new team will serve as a centre of expertise, dedicated to spearheading energy efficiency policy and making it more relevant to people’s everyday lives. Indeed Davey highlights that the UK “has some of the most inefficient housing stock in the EU.”

It’s encouraging to see the Government making a move to further support the Green Deal and the national roll out of smart meters - that will form a cornerstone of the push for better energy efficiency in the UK. Indeed as this month has seen the mandate over smart metering being brought into question, even with the detailed specifications of smart meters still to be finalised, this is an important statement from the new Secretary of State.

As Davey pointed out in his speech on Wednesday, energy efficiency is “the cheapest way of cutting carbon – and cutting bills for consumers. It has to be right at the heart of what we do.” And with a 50-strong team at the EEDO, it certainly sounds like the Government means business over its drive to inform and educate over energy efficiency.

According to Davey, the EEDO will work with industry experts to uncover the evidence, analysis and policy response to the energy efficiency agenda. This collaboration between Government and industry is key, but what the past few weeks have confirmed is that communication with consumers will also be critical in order to put together an energy efficiency strategy that speaks to energy users across the UK.

- ends -

< Back to Blog