Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
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Local MP backs plans to cut carbon emissions from homes
Local Lib Dem MP Norman Baker is supporting radical new proposals that would make homes in Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven and Polegate more environmentally-friendly and simultaneously cut fuel bills for local householders.
The new Liberal Democrat Climate Change Starts At Home plans, launched this week would:
- Make home insulation more affordable for local people;
- Reduce fuel bills, lifting pensioners and others on low incomes out of fuel poverty;
- More than halve the amount of polluting carbon emissions produced by homes in Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven and Polegate.
The new proposals would achieve this by setting tough new GreenHouse standards for new homes which would cut fuel bills. A system of ‘energy mortgages’ would also be created in order that the cost of energy efficiency measures can be repaid over the long-term, using the money saved from lower energy bills.
The plans also outline how new incentives would be placed on energy companies, so that their profits could only be maximised via their helping their customers become more energy efficient.
Commenting on the new plans, Norman said:
“Homes are responsible for over a quarter of all carbon emissions which is why improving household energy efficiency is crucial in the battle to combat climate change. In 2004 alone, homes in the Lewes area produced 255,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of a massive 2.8 tonnes per person.
“The package of proposals put forward today would reduce carbon emissions from existing homes by more than 60% and from newly built houses by 95%, by 2050. That is more carbon than is produced annually by all the cars on Britain’s roads. Locally it would mean 181 fewer tonnes of polluting carbon dioxide from homes across the Lewes District Council area.
“What is more, these measures would really help the many local people who struggle to pay their fuel bills each winter, yet are unable to afford improvements to their homes to make them more energy efficient. Creating a national scheme of ‘energy mortgages’ will allow people to use the money saved from having an energy efficient home to invest in the necessary improvements and will mean that that householders could save as much as £385 a year.”