Energy conservation

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on energy conservation. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

DateDescription
01.07.2013Zero Carbon Homes
This note covers the proposal for zero carbon homes from 2016.
21.06.2013Smart meters
Between now and 2020 more than 50 million new 'smart meters' will be rolled out to 30 million homes and smaller businesses in Britain. These are intended to allow consumers to see and adjust in real time what energy they are using. The Public Accounts Committee considers the challenges associated with roll-out 'huge'.
30.05.2013Energy Bill 2013 - update for Report stage
The current Energy Bill now has its Report Stage scheduled, for 3 June 2013. This note provides an update to some of the more controversial areas, and to previous Library research briefings on the Bill.
12.04.2013Heating oil and other off-gas grid heating
This note sets out the regulation of the off-gas grid energy market, and possible sources of support for those who live off the gas grid and have to rely on other fuels such as heating oil or LPG to heat their homes.
15.03.2013The Green Deal
The Green Deal, the Government's 'flagship piece of legislation, which will deliver energy efficiency to homes and buildings across the land' went fully live on 28 January 2013.

Research Papers

DateDescription
12.03.2013Energy Bill: Committee Stage Report
This paper complements Library Research Paper 12/79 on the Energy Bill 2012-13. It covers the Bill's Second Reading and Committee Stages. The Bill seeks to implement electricity market reform and introduces 'contracts for difference' to support all forms of low carbon generation, including nuclear. Government amendments made during Committee Stage related to cheaper energy tariffs and setting a decarbonisation target.
13.12.2012Energy Bill
The Energy Bill [Bill 100 of 2012-13] seeks to implement 'electricity market reform' and through this achieve 'secure, clean and affordable' electricity supplies. The Bill was introduced to the Commons on 29 November 2012 and will have its Second Reading debate on 19 December 2012. A draft Bill was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.
11.01.2012Daylight Saving Bill: Committee Stage Report
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Daylight Saving Bill.
06.09.2011Energy Bill [HL]: Committee Stage Report
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Energy Bill. It complements Library Research Paper 11/36 (Energy Bill) prepared for the Commons Second Reading.
04.05.2011Energy Bill [HL]
This briefing on the Energy Bill has been prepared for the Second Reading Debate in the House of Commons. The flagship policy in the Bill is the 'Green Deal', a scheme whereby homes would be given finance upfront to make energy efficiency improvements, which would then be paid for by energy bill savings. The Bill would also set up a new obligation on energy companies to help certain groups of consumers with saving energy, who need extra support. The Bill also introduces a range of other measures designed to improve energy efficiency; such as facilitating the roll-out of smart meters, widening access to energy performance certificates and making information on energy bills clearer. The Bill also provides measures designed to help improve energy security, to encourage low carbon generation and to grant additional powers to the Coal Authority to charge for certain services.

Select Committee Reports

DateDescription
07.09.2010Low carbon technologies in a green economy.
Government response. Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report [Commons]
17.03.2010Low carbon technologies in a green economy.
Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report [Commons]
17.03.2010The proposals for national policy statements on energy.
Energy and Climate Change Select Committee report [Commons]
02.02.2009Programmes to reduce household energy consumption.
Public Accounts Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

DateDescription
10.02.2011SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE CONSTITUENTS IN WINTER WEATHER
That this House recognises that the severe cold weather conditions have made it a difficult winter for constituents across the country, on top of challenging economic circumstances; ...
25.01.2011SUSPENSION OF THE WARM FRONT SCHEME
That this House praises the Warm Front scheme which has helped insulate thousands of homes since it was set up by the previous Labour government; notes how the scheme has helped vulnerable ...
02.12.2010CLOSE THE DOOR CAMPAIGN
That this House notes the excellent work of the Close the Door campaign in Bristol and Cambridge, the campaign which aims to conserve energy by asking retailers to keep their doors ...
27.07.2010ENERGY GENERATION AND ENERGY SAVING
That this House notes that the evidence submitted to the recent consultation on the draft national policy statement for energy infrastructure by the Association for the Conservation ...
09.03.2010EARTH HOUR 2010 CAMPAIGN AND THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER
That this House supports WWF's Earth Hour 2010; notes the event's record of persuading one billion people worldwide to sign up to switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30 pm on 27 ...

Lords Library Notes

DateDescription
13.06.2013Energy Bill (HL Bill 30 of 2013-14)
The Energy Bill is intended to establish a framework for delivering secure, affordable and low-carbon energy. This Library Note provides background information for the second reading of the Bill in the House of Lords on 18 June 2013.
08.01.2010Debate on 14th January: The Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change. LLN 2010/001
Debate on 14th January: The Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change. This Library Note aims to provide background reading for the debate to be held on Thursday 14th January: 'To call attention to the outcome of the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change' The UN Conference on Climate Change took place in Copenhagen from 7th-19th December 2009. This Note explains the significance of the Conference in the context of previous international agreements on climate change, sets out the major disagreements that marred the negotiating process in Copenhagen and summarises the key elements contained in the final Copenhagen Accord. It considers analysis of the Accord's achievements and shortcomings, and summarises the reactions of key nations and interest groups.

POST Papers

DateDescription
06.08.2012Energy Use Behaviour Change
This POSTnote introduces the factors and interventions that can influence behaviour, and discusses the behavioural aspects of the Green Deal and the smart meters programme.
25.05.2012Assessing Energy Efficiency
This POSTnote examines definitions of energy efficiency, looks at methods to measure and verify achieved energy savings and summarises UK and EU polices to promote energy efficiency.
23.01.2012Measuring Energy Security
This POSTnote explores ways in which energy security may be measured for monitoring purposes.
01.02.2008Smart metering of electricity and gas, February 2008
Smart metering of electricity and gas, February 2008. POSTnote 08/301.
01.04.2007Energy and sewage, April 2007
Energy and sewage, April 2007. POSTnote 07/282.

Glossary

  • Research Papers (RP) - briefings produced by the House of Commons Library on Bills, topical issues and regular statistics
  • Standard Notes (SN) - shorter, topical briefings from the Commons Library
  • Early Day Motions (EDMs) - formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons
  • POST Notes - short briefing notes produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
  • Lords Library Notes (LLN) - papers compiled by the House of Lords Library on Bills and for debates in the Lords