Energy Security, Zero Carbon + Lower Bills through Retrofit

There needs to be more of a focus on reducing cost and carbon, which can only be achieved by ensuring energy demands are reduced as the first step.

In any consideration of decarbonising heat and action to meet Carbon targets, the cost of energy needs to be considered alongside carbon - action is needed on both.

Transitioning to low carbon fuels without reducing demands first or alongside that, will in the majority of cases, raise costs for consumers, increasing the risk of fuel poverty given rising fuel prices.

Retrofit needs to be an Infrastructure priority to drive a long term reduction in energy demand, reduce carbon and costs.

The first step should always therefore be to reduce demands, then to service those demands in the most efficient, lowest carbon and least cost way practicable and appropriate.

An increased level of interventions to retrofit domestic and non-domestic buildings is urgently needed.

1. Take a fabric first approach. Prioritise funding for insulation measures to be installed in homes, alongside or before heating system measures. Reducing energy demand in a property is the first step to reducing energy bills and energy use, and therefore will have most benefit to the fuel poor.

2. Provide more targeted support for off-grid homes, particularly for solid wall insulation.

3. Encourage those who are able to pay for energy efficiency upgrades, to provide greater energy security in future, and help lower carbon emissions.

4. Unlock more funding to make it easier for lower income and social housing to install energy efficiency measures.

Transitioning to low carbon fuels without reducing demands first or alongside that, will in the majority of cases, raise costs for consumers, increasing the risk of fuel poverty given rising fuel prices.

Fuel poverty, through living in a cold and damp home, is a clear contributory factor in health issues such as respiratory diseases, heart diseases, circulatory diseases, and mental health problems. It also contributes towards increased winter deaths, repeat visits to GPs and admissions to hospitals.