David Cameron’s 2013 pledge to “reduce green waste” when energy prices soared this spring will cost millions of households around £170 per person, a new report says.
Analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) suggests households could save a total of £1.5bn over the next financial year if insulation continued at the pace of a decade ago.
About 2.3 million homes were added with new insulation in 2012, but since 2013 that number has plummeted to only about 230,000, the ECIU said.
insulation
“The rate of insulated homes has dropped significantly since 2012 as a result of the reduction helping households reduce energy waste,” said Labour MP Darren Jones, chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee.
“The real cost of this short-sighted thinking is now sheltering millions of families struggling to pay their bills.”
The homes were fitted with insulation and cavity or solid wall insulation, which the group said was enough to reduce gas use by 20 percent.
The UK has the worst insulated homes in Europe, according to a 2020 survey by thermostat maker Tado. A UK home heated to 20 degrees will drop 3 degrees in 5 hours if the outside temperature is freezing.
In Norway, under the same conditions, houses only dropped 0.9 degrees over the same time, and even in warmer countries, insulation is better.
Upgraded version
The data showed that Italian households fell by 1.5 degrees in five hours, while Spanish households fell by 2.2 degrees.
Under normal circumstances, this would mean UK residents would have to use more gas or electricity to heat their homes than their European neighbours.
That means more carbon emissions, and with household gasoline prices expected to soar from April, it could also put severe strain on bank accounts.
According to the ECIU, an upgrade would reduce bills for nine million households by an average of around £170 in the next financial year. Overall, this could save families around £1.5bn.
Renewable Energy
Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, head of analysis at ECIU, said: “The legacy of David Cameron’s so-called ‘cut green waste’ slogan is a short-term political decision that has resulted in long-term higher bills for millions of people.
“The easiest way to protect the UK, especially less affluent households, from fluctuating international oil prices is to reduce the use of natural gas.
“Keeping gas boilers running has become more expensive and is likely to lead many to consider taking advantage of the new government support in April to switch to a heat pump that does not produce air pollution and runs on electricity, at a price thanks to the UK’s renewable energy and There’s no surge like natural gas.”
this author
August Graham is an urban reporter in Pennsylvania.
