Negotiators from the European Parliament and national governments have reached an agreement on a directive for helping consumers make a 20 per cent energy saving by 2020.
Late night talks yesterday resulted in officials agreeing on the deal which included: countries establishing strategies for renovating green buildings, with three per cent of central government buildings to be renovated each year; countries setting up energy efficiency obligation schemes requiring energy distributors or retail companies to help consumers by saving 1.5 per cent of their energy each year.
In addition, companies will also have access to energy audits, which in particular will help SMEs to cut the costs of their energy bills.
The European Conservatives and Reformists Group's shadow rapporteur on the proposal MEP Vicky Ford, who attended the talks yesterday evening, said, 'Soaring energy bills are a huge problem for many households. Insulation and other energy saving measures can be a great help. However, it is important that each country can come up with their own tailored schemes to help households and businesses. I have fought hard for national flexibility, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
'If the Parliament had offered Member States more flexibility to adapt measures to their own national circumstances and deliver savings in a cost-effective way then a higher level of commitment would probably have been more acceptable to many of them.
'In the run up to the final discussions some MEPs were more willing to score political points than to put in place solid plans for reducing energy consumption. Attacking the UK and Germany, who have already been held up as shining examples of energy efficiency good practice to the rest of Europe served only to polarise positions even further.
'This agreement will provide bankable and market-driven energy savings whilst not loading excessive burdens on cash-strapped public budgets. It focuses on clear actions that can be taken to reduce energy consumption, rather than an arbitrary target that looks good on paper but yet again delivers no actual efficiencies.'
She added, 'The agreement that we have reached is far better than no agreement and a long delay, which was a real possibility.'