The LGA has been lobbying for better-insulated homes
Councils are on the frontline of providing support to vulnerable residents. They continue to do all they can to support those in our communities who are facing hardship and help them to improve their financial security in the long term.
Improving the energy efficiency of our homes will play a fundamental role in helping families to reduce their costs, become more financially resilient and stay warm throughout future winters, as well as achieving wider objectives such as delivering net zero and improving the UK’s energy security.
As leaders of place, councils will be a vital partner in scaling up retrofit and we stand ready to work with government to redouble efforts to better draught-proof and insulate all homes, and ensure the most vulnerable benefit first.
Last month, the LGA took part in an energy efficiency drop-in event in Parliament, where we spoke to MPs across all parties about how improving energy efficiency must be central to the Government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis.
Alongside a coalition of other stakeholders, including Energy UK, the Federation of Master Builders and the National Housing Federation, we also wrote a joint letter to the Chancellor, setting out what is needed to accelerate retrofit.
As we set out in a joint media statement, this included calling on government to work in partnership with industry, local government and wider stakeholders to develop a long-term deliverable plan for energy efficiency and bring forward the £6 billion that was committed for energy efficiency in the Autumn Statement.
The letter also highlighted the dramatic benefits of place-based approaches to decarbonisation. It called on the Government to work with councils and other partners to develop significant pilots at scale to test place-based approaches that could help achieve our energy efficiency ambitions faster, and at lower cost.
Some of the specific action we called for included creating the conditions to enable local areas to develop the long-term, skilled and qualified workforce needed to deliver retrofit and energy-saving measures.
We also said government should continue working in partnership with industry-led efforts, the social housing sector, and councils to support a long-term, cross-departmental approach to policy-making in this area.
We will continue to highlight that retrofitting more homes as quickly as possible is a practical, sustainable, and economically responsible solution to keeping many people warm and safe through winters, reducing our carbon emissions and driving green jobs and growth. It will also be vital in our preparation to become a net-zero nation.
Effective and efficient rollout will require long-term funding that gives industry the certainty needed to invest in skills and capacity.
Councils are critical to working with their communities – going street by street to help households permanently reduce their bills – and urgently need the funding and support to accelerate energy efficiency.