Department for Energy and Climate Change

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The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) works to make sure there are clean, safe and affordable energy supplies in the UK. DECC is based in London and Aberdeen.

DECC’s responsibilities include:

• Secure energy – ensuring UK homes and businesses have secure supplies of energy for heat, light, power and transport.
• Act on climate change – government and international action is promoted within the department to alleviate the effects of climate change.
• Affordability – delivering low carbon energy safely at the cheapest prices possible to consumers, taxpayers and the economy.
• Fairness – making certain the benefits and costs of policies are distributed evenly in order to protect the poor and most vulnerable in society.
• Competitiveness – addressing issues that occur within the energy industry.
• Promoting growth – maximising the benefits to the UK economy, through job creation, industry expansion and investment. Making the most of existing gas and oil reserves and seizing opportunities that arise in the global green market.
• Management – overseeing the UK’s energy legacy.

Their priorities include:

• Cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the UK by at least 80% by the year 2050. This includes obtaining around 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.
• Using the Energy Bill to support investment in energy infrastructure within the UK.
• Create the framework to bring forward the required £110 billion for energy infrastructure over the course of the next ten years.
• Helping consumers by keeping energy bills down and by executing the Green Deal.
• Promoting action in the EU and internationally to maintain energy safety.
• Agreeing a global deal for climate change.

DECC work with eight main agencies and public bodies:

• Ofgem – non-ministerial department.
• Civil Nuclear Police Authority – executive public body.
• Coal Authority - executive public body.
• Committee on Climate Change - executive public body.
• Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - executive public body.
• Committee on Radioactive Waste Management – advisory public body.
• Fuel Poverty Advisory Group - advisory public body.
• Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board - advisory public body.

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[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Climate Change Act.
• Energy Act.
• Energy Related Products Regulations.
• Electricity supply.
• Future of electricity in domestic buildings.
• Green deal.
• Renewable energy.
• Zero carbon homes.
• Zero carbon non-domestic buildings.