the Carbon Challenge

Homing in on zero carbon...

Matt Robinson, Communications Manager of the Zero Carbon Hub, writes today's guest post. (The Zero Carbon Hub is a public/private partnership established to take day-to-day operational responsibility for co-ordinating delivery of low and zero carbon new homes as part of the UK Government's commitment for all newbuild homes to be zero carbon from 2016. The Zero Carbon Hub supports and reports to the 2016 Taskforce which was established in January 2007 and is chaired by the Housing Minister and the Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation.)

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The credit crunch has significantly impacted on the house-building industry and resulted in the sale of newbuild homes dropping massively over the last year. So, where does this leave the Government’s ambition for all newbuild homes to be zero carbon from 2016, when:

1) We know that lower carbon homes are much harder to build, and therefore more costly to produce and research shows consumers have indicated they would not be prepared to pay much more for low/zero carbon homes – and certainly not the £35,000 that a home meeting a zero carbon standard would cost.

2) We know consumers don’t like the look of low and zero carbon homes.

3) We know consumers aren’t keen on the associated technologies, such as renewables.

Well, on the face of it, the challenge of persuading consumers to purchase low/zero carbon homes looks to be an extremely tough one.

However, I think we need to take a step back – and look at what consumers know about low/zero carbon homes. The simple answer is, ‘not a lot’. In fact, people don't even understand how their homes and their behaviour within the home impact on CO2 levels, with just a quarter - after prompting- being aware that 27 per cent of the UK's carbon emissions come from housing stock. And whilst 50 per cent of consumers have heard of the term zero carbon home, only a third know what this means in reality. The bottom line is that whilst people may say they don't like the look, the additional costs, or technologies involved in zero carbon homes, this is not based on personal experience, but instead their perception. After all most people will never have visited or stayed in a low/zero carbon home or seen how the technologies involved work.

Where does that leave us? Well, research shows that the key things people consider when buying a home are – amongst others - quality, running costs, and value for money. Whilst increasing the general awareness and understanding that consumers have of low/zero carbon homes is critical, I believe that it is these three areas where the argument can best be made in persuading people that they should purchase low/zero carbon homes. 

At the moment I am in the process of setting up a Consumer Engagement Steering Group to take forward and develop strategies to tackle the challenges outlined above. The first meeting is to be held on 30. January at the Energy Saving Trust’s offices – and I would be delighted to hear from any of the marketing and communications experts amongst you who would like to join the Group. The initial aims of the Group will be to:

1) Identify concerns and worries regarding the viability of promoting of low/zero carbon homes to consumers.

2) Use our collective expertise to identify and prioritise the types of consumer most likely to purchase low/zero carbon homes.

3) Develop a marketing guidance strategy to help direct and inform on the best ways of communicating messages about low/zero carbon homes to potential buyers.

The Zero Carbon Hub, over the next three months, will also be conducting a wide ranging piece of consumer research on low/zero carbon homes. This will include:

1) Examining and producing a summary report on existing consumer research on low/zero carbon homes.

2) Conducting new research that fully explores consumer views on low/zero carbon homes. Part of this will involve running focus groups of homeowners currently living in low carbon properties to help ascertain the practical barriers that could inhibit mainstream take up in the future.

By being part of the Steering Group you will receive updates on the progression of this research and have the first chance to read the findings when it is published in March 2009.

If you are interested in joining then please email me at matt.robinson@zerocarbonhub.org, or alternatively you can phone me on 07918 726675.

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Energy Performance Certificates - helping people understand their energy use

For any one with low blood pressure, taking a quick scan through the letters pages of the Daily Mail is sure to help rectify that condition. Today includes a letter by Mr N Walker berating Yvette Cooper and all and sundry regarding the "totally unnecessary introduction of energy performance certificates” on the basis that "When you move into a house you can change everything, including the heating [system]" and free choice means you can replace it with a different one if you want! He goes on to cite the somewhat spurious suggestion that the price of energy is the key regulator on usage. Clearly the Climate Change debate has not arrived in his home town of Grimsby yet. This despite the fact nearby Hull recently experienced the type of flooding that can be expected on a regular basis if we do nothing to arrest climate change.

I do agree with one thing Mr N Walker says, however, which is that you shouldn’t necessarily need advice from a government inspector on how to save energy. There are of course plenty of other sources of independent energy saving advice…like the Energy Saving Trust for a start!

Whilst his belief that you can should be able to work out how to save energy yourself may hold true for Mr Walker, it is evident - from our own research - that people want clear, practical energy saving advice. I think that the introduction of the Energy Performance Certificate is one way of achieving this. They will help people get engaged in the debate and enable them to understand - in each area of their home - how they can reduce energy, save money and help mitigate their impact on the climate at the same time.

As an after thought, have you noticed - not specific just to the Daily Mail - that there is an increasing tendency to divide the English from the Scots on these sorts of matters (and many others too)? It is as if the union never took place. Perhaps there are secret BNP sleepers living in isolation around England just waiting for the opportunity to stoke up the anti-Scot feeling. Or is it just another parade of the little England mentality?

PS - As us “little Englanders” are currently being thrashed by India in the Test cricket perhaps it's time for us to chat to NPower to see if we can’t help deliver, if not a cricket neutral, a carbon neutral test match going forward. Do you think it will catch on?

HIP HIP Hooray?

Well, the launch day of the Home Improvement Packs (HIPs) is finally here and with it comes the arrival of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC). Given all the hullabaloo there has been over the last few months with the "Will they, won’t they?", "What’s included, what’s not included", and the threats of a judicial review - amongst other things - it’s been a remarkably low key affair. Anyway – I still think it is an excellent idea. It will give the opportunity for people, for the first time, to understand their energy consumption. It will let them know - possibly for the first time - what level of energy standard a home is currently reaching and could be reaching. 

There has been the usual group of organisations saying that the introduction of HIPs would mean the end of the world as we know it. However, the reality is that because HIPs include the EPC, it means the energy efficiency of a property will suddenly be at the forefront of both the owner and potential buyer minds. It is an opportunity we should grasp with both hands, regardless of how difficult it was getting the legislation through. I would be interested to get any feedback from estate agents, independent financial advisers and mortgage providers, as to their views as to how this is likely to work. There are clearly some very different opinions out there.

By the way, I was reading in the paper this morning about the much heralded transfer of Eurostar to St Pancras in November. As a regular commuter to Waterloo I wonder if Network Rail and whoever else is involved will grasp the opportunity to expand the public transport capacity into Waterloo as a result of this transfer – or will we see yet another retail development in the centre of London at the expense of improving public transport for the 250,000 commuters who use Waterloo station everyday. What is your view? Trains or shoppers at Platform 11!

Assessing the true cost of 'affordable homes'

"A challenge: affordable and low carbon homes"

It was really interesting to watch the debate in the House of Lords regarding not only the proposed development of three million affordable homes, but also around the effectiveness of Energy Performance Certificates being introduced into the market place. These things of course have to be balanced against our overwhelming requirement to act as stewards in protecting the natural environment not only for now, but for decades and centuries into the future. Quite a sobering thought as my youngest daughter almost certainly will be alive in 2100!

Where are all these houses going to be built, I wonder? They could be built on disused, or redeveloped land in towns and cities (brown field sites). For example, I have noticed around where I live that some large, detached houses have been demolished and replaced with an even denser number of dwellings. The other option is to build on green field sites - potentially, for example, green belt areas outside the main urban centres. What affect is this going to have on both the local infrastructure and the environment? The Government has also recently announced its commitment to delivering zero carbon housing by 2016. This seems an incredibly big ask unless we get some heavy weight building companies on side and soon. Any views on how you square this circle would be appreciated.

Also, what are your views of Energy Performance Certificates? Are they an unnecessary bureaucracy, or as I think an opportunity to further engage with people about the importance of taking energy saving measures in the home?

All in all, it is going to require the support of all the major players - consumer groups, housing and building industry, as well as local and National Government for zero carbon homes to become a reality.