The Green Homes Action Group (GHAG) – a group of businesses and charities with a shared interest in making the UK’s homes more sustainable through high-quality retrofit solutions for all – has welcomed the action the government has announced today that will help protect some of the most vulnerable households from immediate impact of these prices rise.
The Group brings together organisations and individuals including Nationwide Building Society, the Federation of Master Builders, Energiesprong UK, ROCKWOOL, Igloo, Ashden, Energy Saving Trust, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association, National Energy Foundation and Professor Tadj Oreszczyn of UCL.
Following the government’s latest intervention on supporting households, the GHAG is calling for greater focus on a long-term strategy, one must be supported by both government and business, that centres on retrofitting the UK’s homes to make them more energy efficient. Such action will form the best defence against rising energy prices, while helping the UK meet its Net Zero ambitions by 2050.
A Statement from the Green Homes Action Group said: “Everyone, regardless of whether they own or rent, deserves a warm, energy-efficient home. It cannot and should not be a luxury or lottery. The energy price increases bear all the ingredients for making this a reality given the detrimental impact this could have for many – especially those who are vulnerable. We welcome the Government’s decision to intervene in the energy markets and protect consumers from the worst of these price hikes and we need effective, targeted support to help shield those who have the least financial resilience.
“But this clearly cannot be a long-term solution. The best way to protect people from volatile energy markets is to ensure that their homes are more sustainable – better insulated, warmer, and running on a decarbonised fuel or energy source. We want this short-term support to act as a catalyst for a long-term plan in achieving this, from insulating our homes to making the heating of them cleaner. This can only be achieved through a national retrofitting programme that has the full commitment of government and business. As the price rises prepare to bite and consumers brace themselves, there has never been a more important time to act by incentivising and encouraging people to make their homes more energy-efficient.”
Green Homes Action Group signatories to the statement made today include Nationwide Building Society, Federation of Master Builders, Professor Tadj Oreszczyn at UCL Energy Institute, Igloo Regeneration, Ashden, ROCKWOOL, Energy Saving Trust, Metropolitan Thames Valley and the National Energy Foundation.
