Welcome to the website for the Department of Energy and Climate Change
We face unprecedented challenges to our environment, our economy, and the future security of our energy supplies and the decisions we make now will affect the planet and our way of life for generations to come. DECC exists to tackle these challenges.
This site provides information about the Department and about the work we do. If your web browser supports RSS feeds, you can sign up to be kept informed whenever we add major news stories or speeches by our Ministers.
Latest Developments
'Youth Day' at DECC - 09 February 2010
'Youth Day' at DECC saw Generation Green, the green think tank for 7-14 yr olds, set up by British Gas, presenting their manifesto for a green future to Ed Miliband.
Later in the day, Ed attended the pilot meeting of the DECC Youth Advisory Panel. The panel, which had representatives from fifteen youth organisations, discussed DECC’s current work and our future pathways to 2050. This panel aims to represent the views of young people and DECC will be actively working with them as we shape the country's longer term energy and climate change policies.
Ed said: “The young people here will live with the consequences of the policies that we make today. It’s only right that their voice should also be heard at the table.”
Green Makeover for Low Carbon Winners - 08 February 2010
Minister for Climate Change Joan Ruddock, met with 12 winners of the Low Carbon Communities Challenge on Monday at an event in London to celebrate their achievement. The winning communities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will share £10m investigating what really works at a local level to cut carbon and save money on fuel bills.The Challenge will allow the communities’ experiences to be shared to inform and inspire other communities wanting to begin their own initiatives.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock said:
“The huge enthusiasm for the Low Carbon Communities Challenge demonstrates that local people are passionate about building a low carbon future in the UK. Today’s winners will act as a test bed for green action, and show us all what a greener future looks like."
Cash Rewards for Low Carbon Electricity and Heating - 01 February 2010
Households and communities who install generating technologies such as small wind turbines and solar panels will from April be entitled to claim payments for the low carbon electricity they produce.
Ed Miliband today announced the Feed-in Tariff (FITs) levels and also published a blueprint for a similar scheme to be introduced in April 2011 to incentivise low carbon heating technologies. The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will be a world first.
The schemes are designed to bring about a significant increase in the amount of locally produced green energy, as a contribution to the wider shift of the energy mix to low carbon.
Act on CO2 Insulate Your Home Campaign - 11 January 2009
This week sees the launch of the next phase of the ACT ON CO2 campaign, aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of home insulation.
The adverts highlight the cost and CO2 saving of insulating your home properly. They focus on loft insulation and cavity wall insulation, supporting the policy objective to insulate 6 million homes by 2011.
The new television advert, again featuring a Dad and his family who first appeared in 2008, will be supported by advertising in the national and regional press as well as in and around DIY stores in the coming months and complimented with radio advertising.
Visit the Act On CO2 website to find out more on the campaign and what else you can do to save energy and money.
Boiler Scrappage to Benefit Jobs, Climate and Bills - 05 January 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband today kick start a national scheme to upgrade household heating systems to cut carbon, save money on fuel bills and sustain work for the heating industry.
Up to 125,000 households in England with working "G-rated" boilers can from today apply through the Energy Saving Trust for a voucher which will entitle them to £400 off the price of a new, modern "A-rated" boiler or a renewable heating system like a biomass boiler or a heat pump.
The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan
The Government has published the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, a route map to a low carbon country. The Transition Plan is the most systematic response to climate change of any major developed economy, and sets standards for others in the run up to crucial talks in Copenhagen in December.
More information on the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan and related documents is available in the publications section of this site.