City councilors warn that energy-saving programs are failing
Poor progress on home insulation jeopardizes energy poverty goals, costs billions and contributes to climate change, city councilors warn.
Councils are calling for a new local approach after the flagship energy efficiency program supported 60,000 homes in 2022, up from nearly half a million homes in 2013.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 300 local authorities in England and Wales, said the failure to match 2013 installation levels in subsequent years has cost households £2billion in lifetime savings.
The LGA’s analysis also found that, with current trends, by 2030, the target date for ending energy poverty, 2.4 million energy-deprived households would remain unassisted from the program.
Now is the time to move to a locally-led approach, meaning communities can target the homes that need the support most, while also working with local businesses to build capability and growth
It would also take 50 years to provide attic insulation for all low-fuel homes that need it and nearly 60 years to deliver wall insulation improvements, with net-zero target just 27 years away, it said.
According to the LGA, new boilers accounted for one in four measures – more than all attic and cavity wall insulation measures combined – which is unsustainable in the long term.
She is calling for “accelerated action” to refurbish all social and fuel housing, arguing that the plans should be delegated to municipalities to carry out locally targeted projects to insulate homes and support businesses.
It was proposed to focus on tackling energy poverty as a basis for reducing emissions in all homes and buildings, as well as promoting health and lowering the cost of living.
Linda Taylor, Environmental Spokesperson for the LGA, said: “Renovating more homes is a practical, sustainable and economically responsible solution to raise living standards and reduce costs.”
“National climate protection measures are essential. But the complexities of supporting retrofitting in our 51 towns, 935 towns and 6,000 villages cannot be managed from a Whitehall desk, and national programs are struggling.
“Now is the time to move to a locally-led approach, meaning communities can target the homes that need support most, while also working with local businesses to build capability and growth.”
This is a totally misleading comparison that ignores the many home insulation systems that are performing well now and didn’t exist in 2013
A spokesman for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero said: “This is a totally misleading comparison that ignores the many home insulation programs that are thriving now that weren’t there in 2013, such as the Home Upgrade Grant and Social Housing Decarbonization Fund.”
“The proportion of homes in England with an energy rating of C or higher has increased from 14% in 2010 to 47% in 2022.
“Our Great British Insulation Scheme aims to modernize around 300,000 of the country’s least energy efficient homes. We have committed to investing £6.6 billion in energy efficiency improvements in this Parliament, and a further £6 billion by 2028.”
https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/energy-saving-schemes-falling-short-councils-warn-b1081923.html City councilors warn that energy-saving programs are failing
