The Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA)

The Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) has been in place since 1995. The act required us to submit a yearly progress report to the Government relating to energy efficiency and conservation measures relating to residential accommodation in our area.

Local authorities are uniquely placed to assess the needs of their areas and local residents and to act as catalysts for change. The act recognises local authorities’ ability to use their position to improve the energy efficiency of all residential accommodation (such as owner-occupied, privately rented and social housing) in their areas.

New reporting requirements

In July 2012, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) replaced the existing statutory guidance on the Home Energy Conservation Act (1995) with a revised version, which asks all English authorities with housing responsibilities to prepare a ‘further report’ by 31st March 2013, setting out: ‘the local energy conservation measures that the authority considers practicable, cost-effective, and likely to significantly improve the energy efficiency of residential accommodation in its area’.

Our HECA report

We have drawn up our HECA further report that sets out the energy conservation measures that we consider practicable, cost-effective, and likely to significantly improve the energy efficiency of residential accommodation in the Borough.

Future reports

Under the act, we are also required to provide progress reports on progress made in implementing the measures set out in the further report, at 2 yearly intervals after submission of the further report (by 31 March 2015, 31 March 2017, 31 March 2019 etc. up to and including 31 March 2027).

In May 2019 the Government department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) refreshed the structure of HECA reporting obligation to streamline the process for all reporting authorities. Data in 2019 was reported directly to BEIS for them to collate and analyse. They are responsible for publishing and using this data to inform future policies and approaches to home energy conservation.