Watchdog insists energy efficiency efforts are working

Government efforts to improve domestic energy efficiency received a mixed report from the National Audit Office (NAO) yesterday, claiming that while household energy consumption is falling, more should be done to ensure the downward trend continues.

The report, which assesses government programmes to curb household energy use worth £2.6bn a year, found that efforts to enhance energy efficiency are having a positive impact.

It confirmed that household energy efficiency improved 19 per cent between 1990 and 2004, and while this improvement was offset by the growth in consumer electronics since 2004, household energy consumption has also begun to fall.

The report said that these improvements were driven largely by the obligation the government has placed on energy suppliers to provide improved energy efficiency services, particularly to poorer households.

However, the report also warned that many energy profligate practices remain commonplace and advised that the government will need to step up its energy efficiency programmes if it is to build on recent successes in curbing energy use.

It cited a recent survey from the Energy Saving Trust that revealed that 71 per cent of households leave appliances on standby, 63 per cent forget to turn lights off, and 28 per cent leave heating on when their house is unoccupied. Consequently, the NAO said that a typical household could reduce energy use by a further 30 per cent, saving £280 a year.

The report criticised Defra for failing to update targets for improving energy efficiency, noting that there was no objective for improving household energy efficiency after 2010, and none for household energy consumption after 2016.

"If targets are to be met, departments need to improve their understanding of how programmes are working in real homes, and how householders are responding to them," said Tim Burr, head of the NAO.

Fears were also raised that the policing of new building regulations is not up to scratch and as such rules designed to improve energy efficiency could be being flouted.

"There are encouraging signs that the long-term growth in household energy consumption is reversing," concluded Burr. "But most of us still forget to turn off the lights in empty rooms, and building regulations to save energy in homes are not always followed."