Communications on energy Fighting London's cold war

This communication illustrates the work of the London Energy and Employment Network. LEEN has the twin aims of promoting a rational energy policy for London and, in the process, generating much needed employment. In cooperation with Hackney, one of Britain's poorest boroughs, LEEN organized Hackney's Cold War - a series of initiatives showing the practical measures, informational back-up and funding sources necessary for a local energy policy. LEEN intends to repeat this project in other London Boroughs, with the eventual aim of helping to persuade central govemment to adopt a more comprehensive approach to energy conservation nationally.

Keywords: Local energy policy; Energy

It is widely recognized that the UK has a poor record in the field of energy conservation when compared with the rest of Europe. Over the last two years a new organization has been attemp- ting to rectify this situation in the capital at least. The London Energy and Employment Network (LEEN) was set up with the twin aims of promoting a rational energy policy for London and, in the process, generat- ing much needed employment.

LEEN is funded by the Greater London Enterprise Board, the job creating arm of London's radical gov- erning body, the Greater London Council. In its first year's work it carried out a range of practical pro- jects illustrating what could be done on the ground to save energy. The services it provided included setting up draughtstripping cooperatives to work in local government housing stock, cooperating with tenants to improve a district heating system while simultaneously insulating their homes, setting up a mobile computer energy audit and advice system and providing courses on the practice of energy conservation for professionals.

LEEN also provided a fully equip- ped workshop for the production of new energy saving products and has facilitated the production of a novel windmill generator, a low-cost data logger, an electric bicycle and the development of small business pack-

conservation; London boroughs

ages such as a mobile boiler flue tester suitable for improving the efficiency of heating systems in schools, hospitals, small factories and other buildings.

It had always been LEEN's aim to use such practical instances t o illus- trate the component parts of a rational energy policy. In keeping with this, at the end of its first year LEEN decided to use such initiatives in a more comprehensive manner. This took the form of concentrating its efforts into one borough in London and working with the local politicians, bureaucracy, interested tenants and other local resi- dents to create a borough wide energy policy.

LEEN had already made contact in one of London's most deprived areas, Hackney, and following discussions with councillors and housing officers it was agreed that effort should be fo- cused there. Hackney is a North Lon- don Borough with a population of 180000 which suffers the all too famil- iar catalogue of social, economic and employment problems facing poor in- ner city areas.

The first step in what soon became known as Hackney's Cold War was to hold a public meeting to discuss the practicalities involved. In July 1984 a 'springboard' conference was held which brought together the members of LEEN, local insulation projects, those concerned with fuel poverty, organizations working with the elder-

ly, local councillors, council officers from the housing, building works and finance departments, tenants associa- tions, voluntary and community groups and the gas and electricity boards.

Bringing together this varied range of individuals and organizations was in itself useful. It gave those suffering the effects of cold homes and high fuel bills the opportunity to address them- selves directly to the statutory agen- cies involved and to hear of the difficulties those bodies face in dealing with these problems. It also brought together for the first time the energy conservation groups and those con- cerned about fuel poverty and the problems of the elderly - a joint initiative which was felt to be long overdue. But perhaps most important- ly, it formed a unique coalition of councillors who have political clout, council officers who guide and control the practical work that is done on the ground, outside groups with practical skills in energy conservation and fuel poverty, and the consumers most directly affected - the tenants.

Commitment

The meeting was an outstanding suc- cess and its potential for future prac- tical achievement was personified by the fact that the Chairman was the Deputy Leader of the Council , Andrew Puddephatt, and that there was a public commitment from the chair, the council officials, the groups present and the tenants that some- thing should be done by late 1984, early 1985.

The steering group set up following the 'springboard' meeting acted upon its suggestions and by January 1985 a number of initiatives were being set up or were in existence. Among these were a 24-hour telephone 'Cold Line' which would respond to the problems of any elderly person with severe heating problems; in the short term this could consist of the emergency provision of blankets and heaters and in the longer term of improvements in insulation standards and advice on help with fuel bills, and the organiza- tion by LEEN of crash training courses for housing officers in the

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practicalities of energy conservation. These initiatives, plus the public

adoption by the Council of a 'Right to Warmth Charter ' for their inhabitants, were the first steps to show the prac- tical commitment of the council and LEEN to do something in a short space of time. Whilst these were being set up the more comprehens ive aspects of Hackney's Cold War were being planned.

It was felt that the key to a success- ful, long-term, replicable local energy policy would be a combination of effective practical projects, energy conservation information and the pro- vision of adequate funds to achieve this.

The practical energy conservation projects were to concentrate on coun- cil tenants in the short term, but to spread to housing associations and cooperatives and the private sector soon after, and also to the commercial and industrial sector. A data base on the structure and energy use of the Council's housing stock was collected and, to enable future energy conserva- tion work to be prioritized, a compu- ter analysis was carried out of the council housing stock. A model was developed to provide information on the practicalities of the most cost effective improvements in the energy conservation and heating systems of the dwellings involved. At the same time, guidelines were being drawn up to incorporate effective energy con- servation measures in all future new- bu i ld , r e h a b i l i t a t i o n and m a j o r maintenance work to be carried out by the Council.

Information campaign While the details of the actual con- servation work were being clarified, the information programme was work- ed out. In order to reach the consumer a heating advice campaign was plan- ned to provide advice on practical conservation measures and informa- tion on the grants available for those measures, and on welfare benefits available for people experiencing diffi- culties paying their fuel bills.

To ensure that this campaign was sustained in a consistent manner, a permanent information and advice

service on heating, energy conserva- tion and fuel poverty was established in the area. The gas and electricity boards were urged to provide informa- tion about fuel efficiency and energy conservation, both in their mailings to customers and in their retail outlets.

From the early days of its existence LEEN recognized that, although edu- cating and working with local councils and providing energy conservation in- formation were important pre- requisites for a comprehensive approach, the fundamental block to large scale efforts at improving energy efficiency and hence creating a sub- stantial number of jobs was the thorny question of finance.

Novel funding At a time of central and local govern- ment financial cutbacks LEEN felt that it was vital that novel funding sources to pay for energy conservation work were developed. To tackle this problem LEEN has worked on two schemes, one for the public housing sector and one for private home own- ers.

In the public sector, LEEN set up the Tenants Heating Insulation Ser- vice (THIS), which is a financial scheme enabling private capital to be made available in the form of a long-term loan to tenants. Those choosing to pay a small increase in their rent over a 10-year period are provided with improvements in the heating and energy conservation stan- dards of their dwellings. The rent increase will be compensated for by the lower fuel bills and/or improved comfort levels.

For the home owner, a similar scheme was developed with the Abbey National Building Society, one of the more innovative of the financiers catering for those seeking to buy their own homes. Before the Hackney's Cold War initiative was begun, Hack- ney Council and the Abbey National Building Society had planned to set up together an organization to facilitate the provision of funds to the poorer area of Hackney. HANJI (the Hack- ney and Abbey National Joint Initia- t ive) was t h e r e f o r e an obv ious mechanism for financing energy con-

C o m m u n i c a t i o n s on energy

servation amongst home owners. The building society circulates to those who already have loans the offer of a small increase in their repayments to pay for improved heating and energy conservation. From the owners' point of view a good part of the cost would be recouped in lower fuel bills, while their comfort would also be increased. For the Abbey National the scheme had three advantages: an increase in business; a probable improvement in the fabric of the properties through less dampness and condensation; and a drop in fuel bills for the occupier, lessening the chances of what is a growing concern to building societies - customers defaulting.

Thus the Hackney's Cold War in- itiative seeks to show the practical measures and information resources necessary for a comprehensive local energy policy, and some of the methods of funding such a scheme. LEEN intends to repeat this effort in o ther boroughs of London, both Labour and Conservative controlled. The organization feels that by illus- trating such practical examples of how a comprehensive approach can really work and be paid for, it will convince central government of the need to support financially similar initiatives all over the country.

Only then, when there is an infusion of central and local government and private capital to finance large-scale, practical energy conservation work will the UK have a more rational energy pol icy. Fu r the rmore , the potential employment generation of such a policy is considerable. In Lon- don alone the Greater London Coun- cil has calculated that for an invest- ment of less than £1 billion on insulat- ing London's homes, fuel savings would be over £4 billion within 20 years, and some 3000 jobs would be created in a decade.

LEEN is convinced that the exam- ple of its pragmatic approach of link- ing practice, information and funding sources for energy conservation work will be an important catalyst in prom- oting such a policy.

Co~in Hines LEEN

99 Midland Road London NWl

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