Responding to today’s letter from the Climate Change Committee urging the Chancellor do far more to reduce energy demand from buildings, Friends of the Earth’s head of policy, Mike Childs, said:
“The Climate Change Committee is spot on. A rapid roll-out of basic insulation such as cavity wall and loft insulation, smart heating controls and energy advice for householders is urgently needed.
“Friends of the Earth has identified almost 9,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales where incomes are low, but with energy costs higher than average due to poor insulation.
“These communities need to be prioritised – and with many in these areas likely to be struggling with rising costs, they need financial help to install energy saving measures.
“Fixing the UKs heat leaking homes will cut energy bills, help keep people warm, boost energy security and slash carbon emissions.
“The Chancellor must recognise this in next week’s Autumn Statement by committing to investing at least £5bn annually on insulation over the coming years.”
- Friends of the Earth is urging the government to invest in a nationwide street by street home insulation programme – to be funded in part by a bigger and bolder windfall tax on fossil fuel company profits.
Notes
- The Climate Change Committee’s letter to the Chancellor is here. It says “The next two years should be a period for a concerted push to improve rates of loft and cavity wall insulation, draught-proofing and installing modern tools to manage energy use (such as smart thermostats, thermostatic radiator controls and smart meters).”
- New research reveals nearly 9,000 'energy crisis hotspots' in England and Wales