This week is cold homes week, dedicated to putting fuel poverty firmly on the political agenda.
Energy bills are causing real hardship, with 81% of the population worried about them, according to a recent Yougov poll.
It may be surprising, but energy prices in the UK are relatively cheap compared to other European countries. Our high energy bills stem from having some of the worst-insulated housing in Europe.
If our homes were properly insulated, it would bring down bills and tackle fuel poverty. Energy efficiency is the only long-term solution to the crisis.
Thousands of people die because they can’t afford to turn on their heating. Two million children are growing up cold – meaning they are twice as likely to contract respiratory diseases such as asthma, are more susceptible to multiple mental health issues and are less likely to do well at school than children in warmer homes.
New research by Cambridge Econometrics has found that a major investment programme in home energy efficiency could not only bring down bills and end fuel poverty, but have much wider benefits:
- households in the UK could save £5bn off their energy bills;
- every £1 invested in energy effiency would generate £3.20 in growth;
- gas imports would be cut by a quarter;
- 108,000 could jobs could be created.
Such an investment programme would pay for itself within eight years and then turn into a net revenue generator for the Treasury.
The research also found that, as an infrastructure programme it would be rated as delivering ‘high’ value for money and could open the door to funding a more ambitious energy efficiency programme. At the moment, he UK government plans to spend £100bn on infrastructure investment over the next five years, but not a penny on retrofitting homes.
UNISON has also produced its own research to help low-paid workers get lower energy bills, which shows the benefits of the government adopting a national scheme to provide remedial works free at the point of delivery to low-income households.
As the general election approaches, campaign group Energy Bill Revolution is calling on all political parties tomake home energy efficiency a priority infrastructure investment and to make all low-income homes super energy efficient by 2025.
That could end fuel poverty within a decade while delivering huge economic returns.
Find out more – incuding what you can do to help – and find resources at energybillrevolution.org or see @energyBillRev on Twitter.
