Thousands of jobs are at risk if the government backtracks on its £6.6bn pledge to make British homes more energy-efficient.
Ministers are considering diluting a pledge, made ahead of last year’s general election, to invest billions of pounds on insulation and other measures in 5 million homes, the FT reported.
Letter to the Treasury
In a letter sent to the Treasury, a total of 54 groups, including The Nationwide and E.On, urged the government to “uphold its manifesto commitment”, arguing this was “vital to help grow the businesses who help households lower their energy bills and increase the UK’s energy security”.
The businesses warned companies urgently needed “government to give them confidence to invest in the sector’s future, training skilled heating engineers and retrofit installers, or manufacturing insulation and clean heating technologies in UK plants.
A final decision on whether to maintain that £6.6bn pledge is expected in June’s spending review.
West Midlands picture
Approximately 1.2m homes in the West Midlands require insulation upgrades to enhance energy efficiency.
This estimate is based on the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) assessment, which aims to retrofit these homes by 2026 to meet the region’s net-zero carbon target by 2041
Only 41.4% of homes bought, built, or let since June 2017 have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C or higher, below the national average of 44.7%.
Notably, 16.9% of homes fall into the lowest efficiency bands (E, F, or G), indicating a substantial need for insulation improvements.
