ENERGY SECURITY REPORT HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR EFFICIENT GENERATION

Malcolm Wicks' report, Energy Security: a national challenge in a changing world, written for the Department for Environment and Climate Change, highlights the need for efficient energy supply to be placed at the forefront of energy policy in the UK today, according to the Combined Heat and Power Association.

"As outlined in the report, it is vital that we act to safeguard electricity and gas supplies, but it does not follow that an energy security is in conflict with a climate change agenda. We can tackle both objectives by boosting overall efficiency and cutting the waste that is seen as an acceptable consequence of centralised energy production across the UK today. Combined heat and power is a very effective way of achieving this result. This will reduce our dependence on sources of imported energy, whilst also saving money and helping cut carbon emissions."

Graham Meeks, Director of the Combined Heat and Power Association, said: "With gas supplies becoming increasingly valuable and increasingly important in securing a low carbon future, today's announcement simply underlines the need to be much more astute in how we use it. Reducing our overall need for fuels by maximising efficiency in energy generation in the first place should be a given. "Combined heat and power saves on average at least 10% in fuel consumption, when compared to conventional approaches to energy production. Its other benefits aside, this alone points to a pivotal role for combined heat and power in meeting our future energy needs."