UK must improve energy efficiency of housing

A new report has found that the UK has the sixth-worst long-term rate of excess winter mortality out of 30 European countries, with an average of 32,000 excess winter deaths every year.

Over the last five years there has been an average of 32,000 excess winter deaths in the UK every year, of which 9,700 are due to a cold home. According to national Energy Action, who published the findings, the fact that UK homes are amongst the least energy efficient in Europe confirms that these deaths are preventable.

Alongside independent climate think tank E3G, the NEA is urging the government to use public infrastructure capital to co-fund area-based energy efficiency schemes to systematically improve the quality of UK housing in every part of the country.

Pedro Guertler, co-author of the report from E3G, said: “The UK has one of the worst records on cold homes-related deaths in Europe and it is not only a public health tragedy, it is a national embarrassment. This epidemic is entirely preventable and E3G and NEA are calling on the UK Government to reinstate public capital investment in home energy efficiency to fix the cold homes crisis. As well as ending needless suffering and premature deaths, it would also address a wide range of national infrastructure priorities.”