DEFRA is setting up systems which aim to give consumers and businesses information on what benefits their green energy tariffs actually deliver over and above the supplier’s existing legal obligation to supply electricity from renewable sources.

Greenpeace is calling for new CHP power stations to be built in industrial locations. The heat produced by this process would be used in industrial processes while a large proportion of the electricity could be directed to the National Grid. This would take advantage of CHP’s much greater conversion efficiency than conventional power stations – and much lower emissions per unit of electricity.

An agreement reached between Government and industry should remove aviation and radar barriers to the major expansion of wind energy. The Memorandum of Understanding, signed by Government departments, agencies and industry follows the Prime Minister’s commitment to find a technical solution to aviation and radar objections to wind farms.

Dartford Borough Council has linked up with British Gas and is offering residents a council tax credit when they install insulation in their homes. The first 30 residents will be entitled to a credit worth £65 - paid directly into the council tax account on completion of the work, which will be reduced to £60 after the initial drive. Residents have to install loft or wall insulation through British Gas, which will be also be subsidised.

A High Court judge has given Friends of the Earth and Help the Aged permission to take the government to court over its refusal to meet its legal commitment to end fuel poverty.

•  a 3,000 household pilot scheme to ensure people applying for Warm Front grants are referred to their energy supplier for tariff advice;
• a £3m pilot project with the low carbon buildings programme to introduce microgeneration to fuel-poor communities;
•  publication of the heat call for evidence to assist development of a heat strategy and measures to reduce energy demand – the strategy will be consulted on in the autumn;
• £150,000 for a citizens’ advice bureaux campaign to help vulnerable people.

It would cost £9.2bn to eliminate fuel poverty from all but the poorest households in England according to new research published by the Eaga Partnership Charitable Trust.

CIBSE has flagged up a potentially severe shortage of assessors needed to implement the Energy Performance of Buildings directive.

Environment minister Joan Ruddock has given low energy lighting her strong backing answering questions in environment question time in Parliament on 12 June.

Do Dynamic Simulation Modelling (DSM) methods offer a better approach to designing buildings with good energy performance than conventional options, asks Simon Napper?