• The significance of existing housing compared to new build and the different levels of performance each display	1. Existing housing is statistically much more significant than new build. 2. In the context of 2050 almost all existing housing and a significant proportion of "new" housing built up to 2016 will need to be upgraded, albeit only insulating external walls. 3. Insulation upgrades should be to the optimum standard for 50 o -60o North in one go and neither the economic thickness nor a series of top-ups as in the past. (The problem with the economic thickness of insulation is that it is predicated on the cost of fuel (oil prices) and the cost of money (interests rates). If the costs fall the economic thickness falls). 4. The underlying data behind Home Energy Conservation Act reports is a good indicator of relative performance. Actual fuel bills would also be useful. There is no reason why Energy Performance Certificates should not publish actual fuel bills.
• The respective roles of residents, homeowners, landlords, local government, central government and the energy industry in promoting and delivering greater energy efficiency	1. Residents are responsible for their behaviour and the cost of fuel will have an influence over that. Fines and incentives could also influence behaviour. 2. Building owners must be compelled to improve the performance of their buildings in the same way car owners are. 3. Local and central government can tax and hypothecate through penalties and incentives and can operate EPCs in a more MOT-like manner. 4. Local and central government must also co-ordinate distribution services for heat and power to make more efficient power generation, e.g. combined heat and power and generation by alternative technologies, e.g. solar photovoltaic panels cost effective and functionally efficient. The co-ordination needs to address the appalling inefficiencies of energy utility infrastructure provision and the tension between highways, road users and competing energy utility and other utility organisations, e.g. water and telecommunications. 5. The energy utility companies need to solve the technical problems of distributing electrical power from distributed generators. The current system does not work. This is an urgent priority. 6. Central government may need to legislate to force energy utilities to accommodate power from distributed generators. 7. Central government should explain that the cost of electricity generation is only about one third of the cost of electricity delivered to users. The balance coves the cost of distribution and administration. These costs do not change if you export electricity and therefore building owners/occupiers will never be able to sell electricity for the same price that they buy it.
• Energy performance certificates	1. These should be mandatory, annual and should be against the 2050 target. 2. They should include actual annual fuel consumed. 3. They should operate in a similar manner to the MOT for vehicles with comparable penalties.
• The provision of information for households and prospective house buyers, including energy performance certificates	1. They should include actual annual fuel consumed.
• Government efforts to reduce carbon emissions from existing housing stock whether in private or public ownership and other related programmes including Decent Homes	1. The Decent Homes Standard should be repositioned as the lowest acceptable performance standard not a target that is aspired to. 2. There needs to be an audit of the housing stock that identifies those dwellings that cannot be treated and therefore have to be replaced. 3. There needs to be a schedule for replacement.
• The technologies available to reduce emissions and the Government's role in facilitating relevant further technological development	1. Central government should commission R&D for insulation products that are an order of magnitude better than current products - especially for external walls. 2. Central government must facilitate solving the problem of distributing electricity from distributed generators.
• The costs associated with reducing carbon emissions from existing housing, who should meet those costs and particularly, in respect of low-income households, interaction between carbon emission reductions and the Government's ambitions to reduce poverty	1. The tax-payer will have to pay for this. 2. Where the tax payer improves their own building tax can be waived. 3. Sufficient tax must be levied to hypothecate to low-income households so that the cost of reducing carbon emissions does not worsen poverty
• The specific challenges which may arise in relation to housing of special architectural or historical interest	1. Central government needs to identify how many museum pieces are required and which they are. 2. There are huge swathes of older property that have no architectural merit but that are a key part of their urban fabric. 3. A new aesthetic would be just as valid as the existing appearance in the majority of older housing stock and could accommodate external insulation where internal insulation is not practical. 4. Some museum pieces will no longer be suitable as dwellings, but would be suitable for other uses, e.g. storage or office use.
This inquiry will focus on functions which are integral or semi-integral to housing fabric such as heating and lighting. The Committee will not examine the environmental performance of individual household appliances.	1. This is a mistake. Electrical power must be considered. We are developing low-power distribution and appliances concepts. 2. Half of electrical power in many devices is wasted in transformer heat losses and fan-cooling. If devices only need low power they should be supplied with low power. 3. A new low-power standard for devices would demand a separate circuit built into the home and appliances designed to work from it. 4. The study should also consider the implications for future cooling of dwellings. 5. Central government should sponsor R&D into phase change materials that obviate the need for air conditioning.