SOCIAL HOUSING PROVIDERS ACROSS EUROPE CALL FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

3.14.00pm GMT Tue 17th Nov 2009

North East Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall has backed an ambitious campaign by social housing providers across Europe to make their existing housing stock more energy efficient in a bid to reduce greenhouse gases, tackle fuel poverty and create green jobs.

Together with other European social housing providers, the UK's National Housing Federation has called on world leaders in Copenhagen to provide a supportive legal framework and financial incentives to help the sector cut down on carbon emissions. In exchange, the social housing associations promise to refurbish 4% of their existing stock of approximately 25m homes (12% of the entire EU housing stock) every year until 2020.

Fiona, who is currently negotiating new measures for energy efficiency in new and existing buildings in the European Parliament, said:

"I am delighted that social housing providers across Europe are using the Copenhagen summit to demand action on energy efficiency improvements in buildings.

"Given that only 1% of the UK's housing stock is currently considered to be energy efficient and the recession has brought a sharp rise in fuel poverty, the UK would greatly benefit from a concerted effort to tackle the energy problems of its current housing stock. This is particularly true for the North East where one in four social houses have been classified as 'indecent' by the Government's own standards.

"In the European Parliament, we are currently pushing for up-front investment schemes and financial incentives to help with retrofitting and refurbishing buildings to the highest possible energy efficiency standard.

"Improving energy efficiency in houses goes hand in hand with fighting fuel poverty and creating jobs"