Sustainability Committee

Inquiry into Carbon Reduction in Wales: Residential Carbon Reduction

Response from Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

First Class
Virginia Hawkins
Sustainable Committee
National Assembly for Wales
Assembly Parliamentary Service
Assembly Offices
Cardiff Bay
CF99 1NA

Dear Ms Hawkins,

I refer to your letter of 24^th August 2007 concerning the Assembly’s Sustainability Committee’s enquiry into Carbon Reduction in Wales.
Please find attached Neath Port Talbot Council’s response to the Committee’s enquiry.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Yours sincerely

Head 0f Property & Regeneration
25^th September 2007
01792 512556
g.nutt@npt.gov.uk
Mr G Nutt
GJN/819727/JW

CO2 Consultation Questions (Household Emissions)

General questions:

1: 3% overall annual target reduction would be sufficient for Wales's UK wide contribution. However there should also be sector targets to emphasise the need to make and measure annual improvements across all sectors.

2: The benefits and achievements of reduced emission targets would be most effective if they were focused on both Welsh consumption and production by region and area. An all Wales carbon reduction programme that reported on total and sector improvements as well as energy production data would enable a comprehensive carbon emissions balance for Wales to be established which in term could feed into the UK profile.

Questions specific to household emissions of carbon dioxide:

3: Challenges include:

Climatic changes that could affect dwelling energy performance ie hotter summers and colder and more stormy winters
Inability to date to establish an accurate and robust domestic energy reporting mechanism
Inability to date to establish an accurate and robust domestic energy reporting mechanism based on primary energy delivery by region and area. Basing improvements statistics on indicative household data as reported under HECA had proved to be unreliable and inaccurate. Actual consumption figure held by utility and distribution companies for all their customers would clearly be the most appropriate and accurate means of measuring the actual changes relating to carbon emissions across all sectors
Increasing numbers of households in fuel poverty
Aging housing stock
Poorly build new and existing housing that are unable to deal with weather patterns in Wales ie exposure, wind and rain etc
Changing patterns of domestic energy consumption ie. increasing electricity consumption, such as IT and entertainment requirements, more white goods and appliances; changing occupancy patterns, aging population; and more single occupancy housing needs

4: WAG have successfully implemented the HEES scheme in Wales and encouraged utility companies to develop supporting investment programmes.

5: Until the level of actual carbon emissions are accurately reported it’s difficult to suggest the most effective uses of any additional funding resources. Indicators suggest that areas that have been least successful in attracting funding and support include hard to treat dwellings - including solid wall and non-traditional construction; households in fuel poverty who are unable to benefit from HEES and similar grant assistance; and dwellings that have existing but inefficient boilers, controls and heating systems.

6: Examples from other administrations and overseas not available