Carbon tax profits can lift 9 out of 10 households out of fuel poverty

A new campaign launched today (27 February) is calling on the UK government to use the money it gets from carbon tax revenue to deliver warm homes and lower bills for all.

The Energy Bill Revolution campaign reveals that on average the UK government will raise £4bn a year in carbon taxes over the next 15 years through the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Floor Price mechanisms.

If spent on energy efficiency programmes, this carbon tax revenue could be enough to lift 9 out of 10 UK households out of fuel poverty, according to new research carried out for the campaign by energy efficiency experts Camco. It could also be used to create up to 200,000 jobs and quadruple carbon emissions cuts compared to the UK government’s new energy efficiency schemes.

The Energy Bill Revolution is a campaign supported by an alliance of environmental charities, trade unions, consumer groups and other organisations, and has the backing of Friends of the Earth Scotland. It is calling on the UK government to recycle carbon tax to make homes super energy efficient.

A petition has been launched at www.energybillrevolution.org to raise public and Parliamentary support for the campaign.

Stan Blackley, Chief Executive, Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“Friends of the Earth Scotland wholly supports the Energy Bill Revolution campaign. Recycling carbon tax revenue to make homes more energy efficient will reduce demand for energy, help to cut carbon emissions, reduce fuel bills and bring families out of fuel poverty, improve housing stock, increase public health, create jobs and boost manufacturing and the economy. It’s a very simple and effective solution to a number of social, economic and environmental problems and we urge the UK government to take notice and act accordingly.”

Ed Matthew, Director of Transform UK, the not-for-profit organisation co-ordinating the campaign, added:

“More people die every year in the UK from living in a cold home than die on our roads. Millions more struggle to make ends meet in the face of high energy bills. That is nothing short of a national scandal. The time for excuses and sticking plaster solutions is over. Recycling carbon tax revenue to make homes super energy efficient is a fair and permanent financial solution to end the suffering.”

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact: Per Fischer, Press Office, Friends of the Earth Scotland
 t: 0131 243 2719

Notes to Editors

1. The Energy Bill Revolution is a public campaign supported by an alliance of organisations, calling for warm homes and lower energy bills. Signatories include Friends of the Earth Scotland, WWF, TUC, GMB, Unite, The Co‐operative Group,National Energy Action, Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, USwitch and Consumer Focus. www.energybillrevolution.org

2. Friends of the Earth Scotland is * Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation * An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland * Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups – covering every continent. www.foe-scotland.org.uk