Energy efficiency has a “potentially significant” role to pay in any post-pandemic recovery package that the government undertakes, a senior business, energy and industrial strategy department (BEIS) official has said.
Sam Balch, deputy director of home retrofit at BEIS, told a virtual Westminster Forum conference on energy efficiency yesterday (23 April) that the department is focused on the immediate response to coronavirus.
He said this included providing advice and guidance on how energy efficiency installers should safely approach their work in the light of Covid19, which has had a “significant effect” on the sector.
Balch said the “immediate priority” of the crisis also means policy proposals previously in the pipeline will be delayed.
But responding to a question on what green measures might be included in a post-crisis economic recovery package, he said energy efficiency will be an area of interest.
“Energy efficiency, with all the benefits, has a potentially significant role to play” Balch said.
David Weatherall, head of policy at the Energy Saving Trust, said later at the same conference that tackling cold homes should be an “essential” element of post-crisis recovery plans because pre-existing respiratory problems make Covid-19 infections worse.
In his presentation, Balch also said the government is looking at how smart meter data may be tapped to improve the measurement of properties’ energy efficiency in the future.
And he said BEIS is working with local authorities to look at how approaches can be tailored to incentivise the take-up of energy efficiency measures.