End Government confusion over insulation scheme roll out says energy campaigner

Warm home campaigner Angela Terry warns ministers to end confusion and delays to its promised Great British Insulation Scheme to help home owners with energy bills that are double what they were in 2020.

At £2074, the latest price cap announced by Ofgem will bring energy bills down by £426 for a typical household annually but energy costs will still be twice what they were two years ago (£1277). Experts do not expect tariffs to fall to 2020 prices within the next decade. ⁽¹⁾

Angela, an environmental scientist and founder of the One Home campaign, says: “We are looking at a decade of winters where bills will remain devastatingly high for many people.

“Insulating lofts would help owners and renters to cut annual energy costs by up to £355 for a typical semi and cost £460 to install if you DIY. ⁽²⁾ But the Government has delayed the launch of its grant scheme by almost a year while it rebrands. It might be hot outside but people need help now to prepare for winter.

“The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), which limits a typical household’s energy bill to £2,500 a year, finishes at the end of June, meaning many won’t benefit from any drop in energy prices.

“The Government has paid out nearly £40 billion to households for energy bills over the cold months but that’s effectively paying to stand still.” ⁽³⁾

Britain has the oldest and leakiest housing stock in Europe. Less than two per cent of homes score top in the energy efficiency rankings. According to figures from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (now the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero), the number of homes being insulated fell by 42 per cent year-on-year in 2022, plummeting to 98 per cent below levels seen in 2012.

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps launched the Eco+ scheme in November 2022, promising funding for loft and cavity wall insulation to stop energy escaping. He promised £1billion funding to extend support to those not benefitting from existing upgrade grants.

But the rollout through energy companies was delayed to summer 2023 as Eco+ was rebranded as the Great British Insulation Scheme and eligibility criteria changed.

Angela says: “Insulation is a relatively simple DIY job and one of the most effective ways of saving money on energy bills but it appears too complicated for the Government to offer help to those who really need it.”

The majority of homes will be expected to reach an energy performance certificate (EPC) rated C by 2035 under Government plans, meaning more than two-thirds will need to pay for insulation improvements.

Citizens Advice recently warned that half of households have savings of less than £10,000, and more than one in 10 have no savings at all, meaning improvements needed to meet net zero would be “unmanageable for many without significant changes to either the cost of improvements or the financial incentives”. ⁽⁴⁾

To Interview Angela Terry or for more information please contact:
Sam Carlisle at sam.carlisle@causecommunications.co.uk (07850 111213)

OR Jenna Sloan at jenna.sloan@causecommunications.co.uk (07914 424987)

NOTES TO EDITORS

One Home is a not-for-profit social enterprise that helps UK households to adapt to a low cost, low carbon lifestyle and extreme weather. One Home provides information and advice on positive, practical solutions that improve people’s lives while saving money and reducing carbon emissions.

⁽¹⁾ Cornwall Insight www.cornwall-insight.com/press/cornwall-insight-forecasts-a-fall-in-the-april-2023-price-cap-but-prices-remain-significantly-above-the-energy-price-guarantee/

⁽²⁾ https://onehome.org.uk/campaign/campaigns/lofts/

⁽³⁾ The Government covered around half a typical household bill last winter. £39.3 billion was spent between October 2022 and March 2023

⁽⁴⁾ May 2023 Citizens Advice You Gov survey of 12,000 adults 

ENDS

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