Proposes that the title of Article 7 be changed to ‘Energy saving support schemes’ in order to emphasise the need for Member States to help consumers, including SMEs, to save energy and reduce their energy costs and put in place measures that enable such savings to be achieved by means of energy obligations schemes and other measures.

3 Underlines the numerous benefits of smart grids in terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the share of renewable energy and distributed generation, ensuring the security of supply to households, creating the conditions for efficient use of electricity in transport, giving consumers the ability to adapt their consumption to benefit from the lowest prices and at the same time save energy, improving energy efficiency, saving electrical power, reducing costly investments in electricity grids by using energy outside peak periods, boosting EU technology innovation and development, encouraging consumers to become ‘prosumers’ w ...[+++]ho produce their own energy and sell the surplus back on the market or receive credit for their surplus electricity, and making use of net metering; points out, also, that the development and use of smart grids greatly reduces energy loss during transmission and distribution; points out that automatic grid reconfiguration can be used to prevent or restore outages (self-healing capabilities); stresses, therefore, the importance of taking into account their position at the intersection of energy and environmental policies by undertaking a general review and rationalisation of the legislation and existing objectives;

3. Underlines the numerous benefits of smart grids in terms of lowering greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the share of renewable energy and distributed generation, ensuring the security of supply to households, creating the conditions required for the efficient use of electricity in transport, giving consumers the ability to adapt their consumption in order to benefit from the lowest prices and at the same time save energy, improving energy efficiency, saving electrical power, reducing costly investments in electricity grids by using energy outside peak periods, boosting EU technology innovation and development; stresses the need for citizen involvement at every stage including the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure that pro ...[+++]vides a two-way flow of information, also in activities planned by the distribution system operators (DSOs) and providers of smart grid technologies; points out, also, that the development and use of smart grids greatly reduces energy loss during transmission and distribution; highlights that automatic grid reconfiguration can be used to prevent or restore outages owing to its self-healing capabilities; notes, however, that national support systems in various regions often do not prioritise the most effective means of applying renewable technologies for private households;

11. Underlines that in order for the EU 2°C climate target to be met, a shift towards the increased use of renewable energy sources must be accompanied by substantial improvements in energy efficiency, strategies to make fossil fuels cleaner, and a change in lifestyles and consumption and productionpatterns, with the aim of making better use of energy and achieving energy savings wherever possible; calls for the elimination of public subsidies for environmentally unsustainable modes of energy production and for the swift introduction of EU-wide environmental and energy taxes; calls specifically for an exchange of best practice on energy ...[+++] saving between the Member States and for the maximum use of Structural Funds for energy saving measures in the new Member States where the potential is greatest;

In the conclusions of the Spring Summit of 9 March 2007, the European Council asks the Commission to submit proposals for more stringent measures to improve the energy efficiency of street-lights and lights in offices and homes.

Around 20% of production could be saved simply by using energy-saving windows.