Tamworth's Sustainable Energy Action Plan

1. Sustainable Energy Action Plan March 2013

2. Tamworth's Sustainable Energy Action Plan This Sustainable Energy Action Plan meets the requirement under the Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) for all English authorities to prepare reports by 31 March 2013 setting out the energy conservation measures that the authority considers practicable, cost-effective and likely to result in significant improvement in the energy efficiency of residential accommodation in its area. The Council is submitting this initial report by 31 March 2013 and then will submit further reports at two-yearly intervals (by 31 March 2015, 31 March 2017, 31 March 2019 etc.) up to and including 31 March 2027. This report is available electronically on our website.

3. Tamworth in context Tamworth Borough Councils Healthier Housing Strategy sets out the Councils commitment to improving the energy efficiency of properties across all the housing stock in Tamworth. The Council recognise the benefits of this in reducing carbon emissions, enabling affordable warmth, alleviating fuel poverty and improving the condition of the housing stock as well as improving the health and wellbeing of our residents and we will continue the good work undertaken in recent years by implementing the actions set out in this plan. For more information on this go to: http://www.tamworth.gov.uk/pdf/Healthier%20Housing%20Strategy.pdf

4. Tamworth in context There has been sustained action over the years across all the sectors. Home Energy Advice Tamworth (HEAT) was set up in 2009, a dedicated advice line for all residents across the Borough to access advice and energy information related to improving the energy efficiency of their homes, giving advice and assistance on affordable warmth and assisting with alleviating fuel poverty.

5. Tamworth in context Until December 2012 the Council worked with partners to fully utilise the remaining Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) funding by running a project through HEAT to raise the profile of energy efficiency and providing over 3000 free Cavity Wall and Loft Insulation measures resulting in a significant increase in the number of properties insulated in Tamworth, in all tenures, regardless of age, disability or income.

6. The Council as a landlord We have invested in heating and insulation improvements to our own stock … • The Council has achieved the Decent Homes Standard across all of its stock and is currently working on maintaining and improving this

7. Our Climate Change Strategy Tamworth's Climate Change Strategy developed with key partners sets out “our “road map” as to how people, partners and businesses in Tamworth can work towards reducing their impact on our changing climate” This plan contributes to the goals and aspirations contained within this document linked to the reduction of Carbon Emissions

8. Our challenge … However Tamworth recognises that it still faces a number of challenges around energy efficiency across the borough and fuel poverty. The Council can see the opportunities offered by schemes such as the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation and in response to the introduction the Council is currently considering its options and approach to this and how we work to maximise the opportunities this provides for residents and the potential improvement of all housing stock in the Borough.

9. Tamworth – An affordable, energy secure and low carbon Borough • So how will we meet these challenges . This Household Sustainable Energy Action Plan for Tamworth Borough seeks to build on the good work that has already been undertaken. It outlines how Tamworth has performed to date with respect to household energy and proposes a series of simple targets and actions through to 2020. The actions are set out in the Sustainable Energy Dashboard - twelve areas of focus with 42 actions to be led by Tamworth Borough Council and partners. At the heart of all of the actions are things that make a difference to the lives of citizens living in the Borough. Warmer more comfortable homes; lower energy bills; job opportunities; cleaner air. Collectively addressing the energy ‘trilemma’ of affordability; reliability and low carbon.

10. Tamworth – An affordable, energy secure and low carbon Borough Thankfully in this ‘age of austerity’ most of the resources needed to deliver the actions are ‘out there’ in the form of a range of energy company obligations and other long term programmes that are mostly simple to draw down. If Tamworth Borough doesn’t benefit from these resources, then other communities will. This plan seeks to ensure that the residents of Tamworth Borough benefit from the opportunities available as a result of Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation.

11. Why have a plan? Energy Affordability: The relentless rise in the cost of energy to heat and power our homes is becoming a very significant challenge for many families – notably disadvantaged and vulnerable households.

12. Why have a plan? Economic Opportunities: Tamworth has real and significant economic opportunities from the low carbon and sustainable energy economy. Tamworth must deliver sustainable energy jobs and new economic opportunities

13. Why have a plan? New Policies & Programmes: At the start of 2013 two new and potentially transformational policies went live. The Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. The Councils role in relation to these are currently under consideration with any decisions made to work for Tamworth.

14. Why have a plan? Investment in Energy Infrastructure: OFGEM talk of some £200 billion of investment in energy this decade. Tamworth needs to secure a proportion of this.

15. Why have a plan? Core City Fixation: Smaller communities seem to be out of the spotlight when it comes to the low carbon and sustainable energy economy. With Government’s focus on Core Citiesand some ambitious low carbon plans coming from the likes of Liverpool, Coventry, Birmingham and Milton Keynes, Tamworth could be at significant risk of being left behind. Tamworth must develop a louder voice and more compelling vision to counter the City fixation, policy blind spot and delivery challenge.

16. Why have a plan? Delivery Challenge: The evidence of transformational change in the way we use and generate energy is very limited. Mainstream, on-going activity at the required level isn’t emerging. Most activity seems to occur as a result of one-off funding opportunities that are rarely sustained when the money runs out.

17. Why have a plan? Who’s Accountable: Accountability for sustainable energy and fuel poverty is unclear in many places. It’s an economic, health, housing, social and environment issue. Effective delivery requires a bit of lots of people. The complexity of what needs to be done makes progress tough.

18. So how are we currently performing? Tamworth has been performing well on a range of indicators relating to Fuel Poverty and Sustainable Energy indicators. The following slides look at performance relating to Excess Winter Deaths Numbers in Fuel Poverty Average cost of energy per household

19. Excess winter deaths (Aug 05 – July 10) E n g l a n d S t a ff o r d s h i r e S t a ff o r d S t a ff o r d s h i r e M oo r l a n d s L i c h f i e l d N e w cas t l e - un de r - L y m e S o u t h S t a ff o r d s h i r e E a st S t a ff o r d s h i r e C a nn o ck C h a se T a m w o r t h 0 % 5 % 10 % 15 % 20 % 25 % 30 % 35% E xces s w i n t e r m o r t a li t y i nd e x ( p e r ce n t a g e ) S ou r c e : P u b li c He al t h M o rt ali t y F i les , Off i c e fo r Nat i o na l S t a t is t i c s an d m id - y e a r p o pu l a t i o n es t i m a t es , O f f ic e fo r Na tion a l S t a t i s t i c s , Crown c op y r ig h t

21. Analysis of total annual cost of Staffordshire household energy using DECC data Analysis of total annual cost of Staffordshire household energy using DECC data

22. Good news for Tamworth … • Lowest level of Excess Winter Deaths in Staffordshire • Lowest numbers of people in the County in Fuel Poverty • Lowest annual cost of household energy per household and person in the County

23. Why? • Relatively new housing stock – Tamworth Stock compared to the national picture

24. Why? • Relatively young population Source – Office of National Statistics

25. Urban Area Tamworth is 12 square miles Why?

26. Why? • Concerted effort by Home Energy Advice Tamworth – co-ordinating Energy Efficiency advice and working to alleviate fuel poverty in the Borough since 2009

27. Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets Carbon Reduction: To reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the domestic sector by 34% by 2020 based on 1990 levels. This target is deliberately in line with National Government targets. For Tamworth Borough this implies a 2.5% year on year reduction in carbon dioxide emissions through to 2020. (1990 Domestic Baseline: 190,681 tonnes CO22020 Target: 124,312 tonnes CO2).

28. Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets 3-year carbon reduction targets Monitor progress against this target by introducing new, building on the end of the National Indicator 186 reporting period. TARGET I: 1st April 2011-31st March 2014 = 11,527 tonnes reduction of CO2. TARGET II: 2014-2017 10,694 tonnes reduction of CO2 TARGET III: 2017-2020 9,922 tonnes reduction of CO2.

29. Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets Fuel Poverty Target: Adopt the Government’s Fuel Poverty Target and seek to deliver in the Borough of Tamworth the current Government Target: By 22nd November 2016, as far as is reasonably practicable, no person should have to live in fuel poverty. Tamworth Borough: Remove 5,000 households from fuel poverty by 2016. 1,670 per year on average.

30. Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets Microgeneration Target: To support the growth of local small-scale renewable energy – especially that which supports the reduction of fuel poverty and household carbon emissions.

31. Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets Distributed Influence: To champion and develop a ‘distributed influence’ function for sustainable energy in homes across the Borough. This role would be to ensure that carbon reduction and energy targets and delivery strategies for the domestic sector are ambitious, coherent and deliverable - and to stimulate and coordinate activities, so that Borough partners deliver domestic carbon reduction and sustainable energy outcomes for the collective benefit of Tamworth including wider benefits such as economic and health.

32. Tamworth Borough Domestic Energy and CO2 targets To continue to monitor Government Policy and wider practice with regard to Local Carbon Budgets, Green Deal and Fuel Poverty along with other measures to ensure that Tamworth Borough’s policies are timely and well informed.

34. Tamworth Borough Domestic Budgets 2011 – 2020 The following table states Tamworth’s 3x3-year carbon budgets for the domestic sector starting April 2011. This is the estimated total reduction required over each 3 year period to deliver a 34% reduction in domestic carbon dioxide emissions on an estimated 1990 baseline.

35. Meeting the first Tamworth Domestic carbon budget • Tamworth Borough’s first three-year domestic carbon budget from 1st April 2011 to 31st March 2014 is a reduction of 11,527 tonnes of carbon dioxide. • It is proposed to deliver this 3 year target in the following way: • CAVITY WALL INSULATION (1,986 installations saving an average of 560kg CO2 /annum/measure) = 1,112 tonnes CO2) • LOFT INSULATION (1,302 installations saving an average of 234 kg CO2 /annum/measure) = 305 tonnes CO2) • NEW GAS BOILERS (6,480 installations saving an average of 762 kg CO2 /annum/measure) = 4,941 tonnes CO2) • TO BE CONFIRMED (5,169 tonnes of CO2/annum – to include microgeneration, behaviour change, solid wall insulation etc.)

36. Tamworth Boroughs “Top 10” domestic sustainable energy actions • Domestic Measures: Other Measures/Actions to be confirmed: Including solid wall insulation, microgeneration, behaviour change and fuel switching. Develop portfolio of measures in response to latest published carbon emissions data for Tamworth Borough expected October 2013. • Home Energy Advice: Advice Target: 3,100 households in the Borough of Tamworth to receive high quality sustainable energy advice per year. Aim to provide sustainable energy advice to every household in Tamworth once every 10 years. (Delivered by Home Energy Advice Tamworth, Energy Saving Advice Service, Utilities and other providers of high quality sustainable energy advice). • Social Housing: Belgrave Gas Extension: Work with the social enterprise Affordable Warmth Solutions to deliver a fuel switching project in Belgrave (electricity to gas). • Health: Data Sharing: To explore how information on the most vulnerable can be shared to maximise the uptake of support measures. E.g. Primary Care knowledge of those most at risk of cold homes; benefit data sharing protocols to maximise the uptake of the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation. • Economic Opportunities: Local Enterprise Partnership: Securing commitment and funding to the local economic opportunities of housing sustainable energy refurbishment and retrofit. • Planning & New Build: Solid Wall Insulation: Develop skills and capacity of Tamworth Development Control team to be able to progress predicted increase in solid wall insulation workload to give projects certainty. • Affordable Warmth: Develop a new Affordable Warmthplan: Building on the Healthier Housing Strategy, Public Health changes and Home Energy Conservation Act duties. • Keeping Score: Maintain Tamworth Borough’s Sustainable Energy Dashboard: Use the Tamworth Borough Sustainable Energy Dashboard for keeping score. Develop simple reporting mechanisms from ‘service providers’ and ‘solutions providers’ including partner organisations to track progress. • Publicity/Communication: Publicity and awareness campaign to ensure that organisations, communities and individuals throughout the Borough are aware of sustainable energy/low carbon opportunities: • Securing Funding|Resources|Investment: Energy Company Obligation: The Borough should secure around a £1.6 million ‘fair share’ each year. Important to develop an early dialogue with the Obligated Parties and their delivery partners.

37. Tamworth Borough Sustainable Energy Dashboard 1.0 March 2013 (Priority Actions) • Domestic Measures: • Cavity Wall Insulation (3 year target: 1,986 installations): • Loft Insulation (3 year target: 1,302 installations): • New Gas Boiler (3 year target: 6,408 installations): Obligation support. • Other Measures/Actions to be confirmed: • B. Home Energy Advice: • Advice Target: • Maximum support from Service Providers: • Seek funding to enhance advice offer: • C. Social Housing • Energy Company Obligation: • Belgrave Gas Extension: • Affordable Warmth Advice: • D. Knowledge, Capability & Networking: • Council Officers & Elected Members: • Public: (see Communications & PR strategy) • Social Housing Providers: • Schools & Colleges: • Voluntary & Community Sector • Staffordshire County: • Energy Utilities & their delivery partners: • Funders: • Mr Christopher Pincher MP: • E. Health: • Let’s Work Together: • Data Sharing: • Falls in Cold Homes: • Frail & Elderly: • F. Special Projects • Belgrave Fuel Switch:. • Cheaper Energy Together Collective Switch: • District Heating:

38. H. Planning & New Build: • Solid Wall Insulation: • Area Based Planning: • Government Review of Building Regulations and Zero Carbon Homes: • G. Economic Opportunities: • Green Deal: • Energy Company Obligation: • Renewables: • Local Enterprise Partnership: • South Staffordshire College: • I. Affordable Warmth: • Maximum Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation Investment: • Maximise other Affordable Warmth Elements of Energy Company Obligation: • Government’s Response to Hills Fuel Poverty Review:. • Warm Homes Healthy People Funding: • Develop a new Affordable Warmthplan: • J. Keeping Score: • Maintain Tamworth Borough’s Sustainable Energy Dashboard: • Explore Borough Wide Property Database: • K. Publicity/Communication: • Publicity and awareness campaign to ensure that organisations, communities and individuals throughout the Borough are aware of sustainable energy/low carbon opportunities: • L. Securing Funding|Resources|Investment: • Energy Company Obligation: • Special Projects: • Prepared for Final Quarter Rush: • Energy Utilities: • Funding for Regional Growth & Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs): • Other:

39. Domestic Measures • Background Installation Target: The ‘Great British Refurb’ calls for every UK home to be ‘zero carbon’ by 2050. To meet this target Tamworth must deliver ‘zero carbon‘ refurbishments in around 850 homes a year on average for the next 37 years. Given that the current basic ‘sustainable energy’ measures being installed in homes are significantly less than that needed to achieve ‘zero carbon’ standards then significantly more homes must receive measures in the short term. The short term target is to develop a mechanism for maximising the take-up of the Energy Company Obligation in the Borough of Tamworth followed by selecting a Green Deal delivery partner or partners. • Cavity Wall Insulation (3 year target: 1,986 installations): Targeting owner occupiers and the private residential rented sector. Including normal cavities and hard to treat. Focussed on Carbon Saving Community Obligation areas and those eligible for Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation support. • Loft Insulation (3 year target: 1,302 installations): Targeting owner occupiers and the private residential rented sector. Focussed on Carbon Saving Community Obligation areas and those eligible for Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation support. • New Gas Boiler (3 year target: 6,408 installations): Will largely occur through the on-going replacement of the fleet of domestic boilers. Green Deal support helpful. Specific focus on those eligible for Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation support. • Other Measures/Actions to be confirmed: Including solid wall insulation, microgeneration, behaviour change and fuel switching. Develop portfolio of measures in response to latest published carbon emissions data for Tamworth Borough expected October 2013.

40. Proposed measures to meet the first Carbon Budget 2011 - 14:

41. B. Home Energy Advice • Advice Target: 3,100 households in the Borough of Tamworth to receive high quality sustainable energy advice per year. Aim to provide sustainable energy advice to every household in Tamworth once every 10 years. (Delivered by Home Energy Advice Tamworth, Energy Saving Advice Service, Utilities and other providers of high quality sustainable energy advice). • Maximum support from Service Providers: Ensure that Tamworth Borough secures as much support from Sustainable Energy Service Providers as possible and quantify the support that the Borough receives whenever possible. • Seek funding to enhance advice offer: Explore new ways of providing advice to increase the reach of HEAT. For example through large employers, schools, colleges and mobile advice provision in communities and at events. Seek funding for example from BIG Lottery Reaching Communities. Social media advice. Publish an advice booklet. Text advice service. Web-based ‘real time’ ask a question service. Advice leaflets (e.g. www.cse.org.uk/resources/energy-advice-leaflets). Train ‘Community Energy Advisers’.

42. Mobile Sustainable Energy Advice Service

43. C. Social Housing • Tamworth Borough Council retains its own social housing stock. Of the total 31,617 households in the Borough some 19.3% or 6,108 are social rented. Some 4,482 from the Council and 1,626 from other social housing providers. Source ONS 2011. • Energy Company Obligation: The Energy Company Obligation provides some excellent opportunities for improving the energy efficiency of social housing in Tamworth. Notably the Carbon Emission Reduction Obligation & Carbon Saving Community Obligation (CSCO). Hard to treat cavities, solid wall insulation and district heating are the key areas of opportunity. See CSCO maps below for details. The Asset Manager (or equivalent) for Tamworth Borough Council’s Social Housing stock should explore the opportunities for supporting investment through ECO. They should also meet with their equivalent from the other social housing providers to share insights and coordinate activity. The social housing sustainable energy works can provide opportunities for private sector tenures and this should be explored. • Belgrave Gas Extension: Work with the social enterprise Affordable Warmth Solutions to deliver a fuel switching project in Belgrave (electricity to gas). • Affordable Warmth Advice: Deliver a programme of ‘Affordable Warmth advice to social housing tenants in the Borough replicating best practice such as Live4Less or Aspire Housing’s ‘Embedded Adviser’ programme.

44. D. Knowledge, Capability & Networking • The sustainable energy landscape changes with new policies and programmes (Green Deal and ECO); rising energy affordability challenges; new local economic opportunities; and public health responsibilities moving to sit more effectively with housing. It is key to ensure that all those with capacity to act and make a difference are given the opportunity to do so. To develop a ‘distributed influence’ function for ‘sustainable energy in homes’ across the Borough. To stimulate and coordinate activities, so that Borough and partners deliver warm, secure and affordable energy homes for Tamworth’s collective benefit. • Council Officers & Elected Members: • Public: (see Communications & PR strategy) • Social Housing Providers: (Tamworth Borough Council stock and other Registered Providers with significant stock in Borough • Schools & Colleges: Economic opportunities of sustainable energy. • Voluntary & Community Sector • Staffordshire County: • Energy Utilities & their delivery partners: • Funders: • Mr Christopher Pincher MP: Member of the Energy & Climate Change Committee.

45. E. Health • Let’s Work Together: To ensure that the health impacts of cold homes are a core part of the Let’s Work Together initiative in Tamworth • Data Sharing: To explore how information on the most vulnerable can be shared to maximise the uptake of support measures. E.g. Primary Care knowledge of those most at risk of cold homes; benefit data sharing protocols to maximise the uptake of the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation. • Falls in Cold Homes: Use the support from the Energy Company Obligation to target those most at risk from falls in cold homes. • Frail & Elderly: How can the Energy Company Obligation be used to target the frail and elderly in the Borough.

46. F. Special Projects • Belgrave Fuel Switch: Deliver gas supply to electrically heated homes in Belgrave. • Cheaper Energy Together Collective Switch: Be an active partner in DECC’s Cheaper Energy Together collective switching project. • District Heating: Develop a plan to maximise the opportunities from district heating under Energy Company Obligation.

47. G. Economic Opportunities • Green Deal: Maximising the local job opportunities from Green Deal in the Borough. • Energy Company Obligation: Maximising the local job opportunities from ECO in the Borough. • Renewables: Maximising the local supply chain opportunities from renewable energy and low carbon energy sources including district heating. • Local Enterprise Partnership: Securing commitment and funding to the local economic opportunities of housing sustainable energy refurbishment and retrofit. • South Staffordshire College: Green Deal career path? Solid wall insulation skills. Micro-generation.

48. H. Planning & New Build • Solid Wall Insulation: Develop skills and capacity of Tamworth Development Control team to be able to progress predicted increase in solid wall insulation workload to give projects certainty. • Area Based Planning: Develop understanding of area based planning approval for community projects (e.g. Stoke City Council’s approach) • Government Review of Building Regulations and Zero Carbon Homes: Maintain watching brief of Government review of Building Regulations and Zero Carbon Homes http://bit.ly/Zv642E

49. Affordable Warmth • Tamworth has 5,000 households in fuel poverty. 2016 target to eradicate fuel poverty. PLAN: Remove 1,670 families/annum from fuel poverty. • Maximum Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation Investment: Tamworth Borough’s ‘fair share’ of the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation (HHCRO) is around £400k/annum (about 160 boilers costing £2.5k each). Tamworth can get much more of this pot if it helps the Obligated Parties spend their money simply and effectively. Develop plan to maximise HHCRO investment. • Maximise other Affordable Warmth Elements of Energy Company Obligation: Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation: Initial focus on electrically heated solid wall properties. Carbon Saving Community Obligation: Focus on eligible Lower Super Output Areas. Develop plan to maximise alleviation of fuel poverty through Carbon Saving elements of ECO. • Government’s Response to Hills Fuel Poverty Review: Maintain a watching brief to ensure that Tamworth Borough can benefit from the new Government strategy as it develops. • Warm Homes Healthy People Funding: Clear evidence based plan for winter 13/14. • Develop a new Affordable Warmthplan: Building on the Healthier Housing Strategy, Public Health changes and Home Energy Conservation Act duties.