Energy conservation in buildings: Part 2-A commentary on British government thinking

Like my previous paper in this journal this commentary is focused on government statements published during the period 1974 to 1979. It is intended as an introductory guide aimed at two overlapping audiences. First, it is addressed to those interested in the reasoning which lies behind the Government's technical arguments on energy conservation in buildings. Secondly, it is directed towards those who seek to understand the social implications and consequences of this area of government endeavour. Not all the statements examined in this commentary represent official expressions of government policy. Some, indeed, are prefaced in their originals by specific disclaimers to this effect. Rather, they should be read as examples of arguments voiced by a variety of individuals and groups who are capable of informing, influencing or making decisions that affect this field of government activity. It should not be supposed that the government statements brought together in this commentary are necessarily consistent or coherent. Instead, in some cases at least, they seem incompatible and may even be irreconcilable. But, given that the source material is drawn from a wide range of documents with a broad range of authors and was published over a number of years, the extent of their unanimity is remarkable. As an introductory guide, this commentary is not offered as exhaustive, as representative of all aspects or shades of government thinking on this subject. On the contrary, only statements published in documents emanating from, or associated with, the Department of Energy have, for the most part, been cited. For the sake of brevity, statements published by other government departments with responsibility for the conservation of energy in buildings--such as the Department of the Environment--have not been drawn upon.