Minutes on the Notice of Motion on the Energy Bill Revolution

In presenting the Notice of Motion, Councillor Bull stated that the country was facing an energy bill crisis, with millions of people nationwide struggling to heat their homes. It was estimated that 5,957 families in Exeter were currently in fuel poverty meaning that these households need to spend more than 10% of their income on keeping their homes warm. It was projected that by 2016 one in three households would be in fuel poverty. The two main reasons for this crisis were the high price of gas, oil and coal and that the UK’s homes were some of the most energy inefficient in Europe. This meant they cost much more than they should to heat and power and cold homes were damaging the health of vulnerable members of society and costing the NHS nearly one billion pounds each year.

Councillor Bull stated the answer was for the Government to use the money it received from carbon taxes to help make homes super-energy efficient. The Government must provide more funding from carbon taxes to help combat climate change. The current Green Deal had failed and, at its current take up rate could take 160 years for all of the UK's housing to benefit. Over the next 15 years the Government would raise an average of £4 billion every year in carbon taxes. If the Government recycled this carbon revenue back to households, it could provide billions of pounds to help insulate the UK’s homes.

There would be enough carbon tax revenue to treat 600,000 fuel poor households every year and help them potentially reduce their energy bills by an average £310 a year. Recycling carbon revenue to make homes super-energy efficient could bring 9 out of 10 homes out of fuel poverty and quadruple savings in carbon emissions compared to the Government’s new energy efficiency schemes and create up to 200,000 jobs which would help economic recovery. The Energy Revolution Bill was a public alliance, made up of over 150 major organisations supported by the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party and the Big Six Energy companies.

Councillor Pearson, in seconding the motion, referred to the fact that one in five households were in fuel poverty and that hardworking people were forced to choose between warm homes or hot food. The Council had already invested in energy saving measures for their tenants by installing Solar Panels and this Energy Revolution Bill would help aid investment in new technologies to bring hard working people out of fuel poverty.

Some Councillors felt that the proposals in the Energy Revolution Bill were unworkable and that the Government was taking steps to help the hardworking people out of fuel poverty by ensuring that there was competition in the energy market and that ensuring that Energy Companies put customers on their lowest tariff.

In supporting the motion, other Councillors felt that the £4 billion raised by carbon taxes could be better spent to address fuel poverty in Exeter and beyond. Whilst recognising the measures that the Council had undertaken by installing Solar Panels on its council houses and civic buildings and its commitment to District Heating Systems, there was a need for pressure to be put on the Government to address fuel poverty and increase energy efficiency measures.

Councillor Bull, in response, stated that over150 organisations and 201 MPs from all parties were supporting this Energy Revolution Bill but Exeter's MPs were absent from the list. The Bill was about using the carbon taxes currently collected by the Government and redirect them to tackle fuel poverty. He asked Members to support this motion.

In accordance with Standing Order 27 (1), a named vote on the Motion was called for, as follows:

Voting for:

Councillors Bialyk, Branston, Brock, Bull, Clark, Crew, Denham, The Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Edwards, Fullam, Laws, The Right Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor Macdonald, Martin, Mitchell, Morris, Newby, Owen, Payne, Pearson, Robson, Ruffle, Sheldon, Spackman, Sutton, Tippins, Wardle and Winterbottom

(28 Members)

Voting against:

Councillors Baldwin, Donovan and Mrs Henson

(3 Members)

Abstain:

Councillors Crow, Leadbetter, Mottram, Prowse and Shiel

(5 Members)

The Notice of Motion was carried.