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Committee on Fuel Poverty names new chair

The Committee on Fuel Poverty has appointed David Blakemore as its new chair.

Blakemore has been a member of the Committee on Fuel Poverty since its inception in January 2016 and will take on the position of chair this month.  

The new chair has had a number of leading managerial and operational roles in multi-national oil companies. Until April 2015 he was director of thirteen oil and electricity generating companies and manager for European Business Affairs at Phillips Ltd.

Earlier this year the committee warned that there are “significant shortfalls” in the funding to tackle fuel poverty in the UK and urged the government to take “urgent action” to improve the energy efficiency of homes.

It published its first report in September 2016, which revealed its estimates for the cost of meeting the government’s 2030 target to ensure as many households as reasonably practical achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of band C.

The Committee said it will cost £1.9 billion to achieve the first milestone in 2020 which aims to get as many homes to a band E rating, a further £5.6 billion to get homes to band D by 2025 and an additional £12.3 billion for the final 2030 target.

The appointment was made following an open recruitment competition in line with guidance set out in the Code of Practice on Public Appointments.