Prioritise insulation to save households £500 a year

The Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group has urged the government to enhance energy efficiency investment as a permanent solution to high energy bills, which can save households over £500 a year on their energy bills.

Energy bills are set to rise to £2,000 per year which risks increasing fuel poverty by 50 per cent, to six million households.

The EEIG is calling for additional support for vulnerable households to prevent a fuel poverty emergency, including expanding the Warm Homes Discount and maintaining the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) levy, that funds insulation measures for low-income households. This is on top of calls for a new £3.6 billion grant or subsidy scheme, open to all other households to insulate their home – ensuring effective delivery and learning lessons from previous schemes.

The organisation also urges the government to accelerate the investment programme to bring all homes up to Band C on an Energy Performance Certificate. They point out that bringing the least energy efficient homes up to this level of efficiency can save them over £500 per year. This would mean an aggregate saving of £7.8 billion per year.

Sarah Kostense-Winterton, chairman on the EEIG, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is being driven by soaring gas prices. A permanent solution to lower bills is through reducing demand through energy efficiency measures. Emergency short-term measures for the most vulnerable households are crucial in the short-term, but it’s fundamental for the government to simultaneously focus on the long-term through accelerating green homes measures to avoid futures crises. Green home retrofits have significant social, environmental and economic co-benefits, and stand out as a ‘no regrets’ solution to the energy crisis, climate crisis, and levelling up agenda.”