Baxi Boiler Group is calling for co-ordinated thinking when it comes to the Government’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme, commonly known as CERT.

Whole home efficiency solutions will, says the Baxi Boiler Group, help to both reduce fuel poverty and reach the required level of carbon savings. CERT, which began in April 2008, has placed a 3 year obligation on energy suppliers to meet household targets in carbon saving, targets that are widely perceived as very ambitious.

CERT, as a carbon saving scheme, have given suppliers these targets to promote carbon saving ideas. Ways in which suppliers can meet these targets include promotion of energy saving measures, such as loft and cavity wall insulating, and more efficient heating and lighting.

CERT has accomplished savings that total to 149 Mt CO2, which is around 81% of its 185 Mt CO2 target. Whilst 905 of these savings come from improvements and insulation and lighting, only 43% came from priority groups. With heating measures, a small growth was recorded at 8.5 Mt CO2, with appliances and microgeneration also behind on 5.5 and 0.66 Mt CO2 (respectively).

Simon Osborne, Baxi Group’s Channel Specification Manager, says, “CERT is an important mechanism for delivering efficient improvements in the home. Clearly, installing high efficiency appliances in leaky, poorly insulated dwellings is not the right approach. However, energy efficient boilers, and microgeneration applications in particular, should be playing a greater role as part of a co-ordinated CERT response with cuts carbon emissions with the whole building envelope.”

It is not only the boiler companies and CERT that should be addressing these targets though. “It is important also for Government and the energy suppliers to address the targeting of the scheme. At present, the priority groups most likely to be affected by issues of fuel poverty are not receiving sufficient support through CERT,” adds Simon Osborne.

The call from groups such as the Baxi Boiler Group is one of a more rounded approach, with a wider outlook into cutting carbon emissions.

Guest Article by Neil Camp