Summary

Vision

The Action Programme of the Danish Electricity Saving Trust (hereinafter referred to as the Trust) outlines a comprehensive vision for halting the growth in electricity consumption by 2009 at the latest. This vision is a direct extension of the political goals which state that Danish energy consumption must decrease to a lower level, with corresponding significant reductions in both fuel consumption and the impact on the environment.

Goal: To reduce electricity consumption by one per cent with resources equivalent to a tiny fraction of market turnover

The Action Programme focuses on how the Trust with no statutory powers and funding equivalent to a tiny fraction of market turnover will reduce energy consumption by one per cent per year.

Various players are involved in promoting the use of energy more efficiently. The Action Programme specifies that the Trust will contribute to electricity savings of 150 GWh/ year. This is equivalent to around one per cent of the total consumption of electricity by households and the public sector in each of the next three years.

Challenges

The challenges faced by the Trust can be summarised briefly as follows.

Firstly, the Trust has no statutory powers of compulsion that can force households and the public sector to behave in an energy efficient and financially sensible way when they purchase or use electrical equipment. The Trust can only appeal to market players and consumers. As a result there is no given or unequivocal link between the Trust’s efforts and the electricity savings achieved.

Secondly, the Trust’s annual funding is modest in relation to the turnover of the market in which it operates. Every year, households and the public sector purchase electrical equipment worth around DKK 50 billion, to which can be added electricity bills of around DKK 20 billion per year. By comparison, the Trust’s annual funding amounts to just under DKK 100 million (0.001 of market turnover).

Areas covered

The Action Programme is built round two elements including permanent information and marketing campaigns that need to ensure that households and the public sector are well informed about electricity savings possibilities, regardless of whether these involve the use of existing equipment or new purchases. The ambition is for these initiatives to fulfil the savings targets established. A total of DKK 75 million has been set aside for these activities.

As an important supplement to the above, the Trust has identified five new areas of initiative. These involve areas and projects that in the long term can be developed into core initiatives within a few years. Development projects like these will ensure that the Trust can continue to provide consumers with relevant advice and offers.

The five new areas of initiative are:

  • `Quantum leap´ technologies
  • Changing markets
  • New construction
  • Energy saving equipment and energy management
  • New business concepts for energy savings

Exceptionally in 2007, the Trust will have approximately DKK 11 5 million at its disposal as a result of the discontinuation of three subsidy schemes. This provides the financial backing for the Trust to spend DKK 25 million in the five areas of initiative.

The Trust’s strategy and areas of initiative are described in subsequent sections of the Action Programme.

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Page last updated 06.10.2008