OPINION: REGULATIONS


RHETORIC OR REALITY?


Energy is a big issue for industry, consumers and government. Hywel Davies looks at what is happening to turn policy rhetoric into practical action


bills for consumers. It has to be right at the heart of what we do. ‘…to help us deliver our existing policies, and find new ways to save energy, right across the economy. We need this expertise now more than ever. Not only do we face a growing gap between energy supply and demand. By 2050, we’ll need to cut our energy use by between a third and a half. And we’re about to begin the biggest energy efficiency drive this country has ever seen.’ That seems a clear commitment to


At work or home we take heat and light for granted. But with


energy demand and dependence on energy imports growing, an affordable, secure energy supply is a major concern to both the EU and national governments. ‘Energy 2020’ is the EU strategy for ‘competitive, sustainable and secure energy’. It highlights the need to act on energy efficiency, infrastructure, choice and security for consumers, energy technology and the internal energy market.1


It draws attention to the


mismatch between words and actions, saying: ‘Despite the importance of energy policy aims, there are serious gaps in delivery.’ In other words, there is lots of talk about energy policy, but a lack of practical day-to-day implementation. Late last year the European


Commission adopted the ‘Energy Roadmap 2050’2


18 CIBSE Journal April 2012 , setting out how to


reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% of 1990 levels by 2050. It ‘explores the challenges posed by delivering the EU’s decarbonisation objective while at the same time ensuring security of energy supply and competitiveness’, and is stated to be the basis for developing ‘a long- term European framework together with all stakeholders’. Meanwhile our own government


is negotiating with the European Commission and Parliament on the proposed Energy Efficiency Directive3


it is actively pursuing a review of the UK energy market4


and has recently


launched the ‘Energy Efficiency Deployment Office’. Speaking at its launch on his second day as Energy Secretary, Ed Davey said5


: ‘I could


hardly pick a better place to get started … I’m hugely enthusiastic about energy efficiency. It’s the cheapest way of cutting carbon: and cutting


;


The UK government is negotiating with the European Parliament on the proposed Energy Efficiency Directive


making energy efficiency happen. The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is hard at work preparing the Green Deal for introduction in October 2012. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is now consulting on changes to Building Regulations, and by July must tell the European Commission how it will implement the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). But this is where we begin to see


the gap between the policy talk and reality. The recast Directive was adopted on 19 May 2010, published on 18 June 2010 and came into force on 8 July 2010. As of 1 February 2012 it replaced the original EPBD in EU law [see box]. Article 28 sets the timetable for implementation, although a much more readable table describing what must be done, by whom, and when appears in the Scottish Government’s October 2011 consultation on the recast. It highlights two key dates. By 30 June 2011, EU member states


had to draw up ‘a list of existing and, if appropriate, proposed measures … (other than those required by this Directive) which promote the objectives of this Directive [and] shall communicate these lists to the Commission, which they may


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