Three million ‘fuel poor’ households are having to pay an extra £250 a year on average on fuel bills because of poorly insulated homes, analysis by the LGA has shown.
Households are wasting £770 million a year as expensive heat leaks through walls, roofs and windows of the poorly insulated homes in England’s ‘fuel poor’ households.
Launching the report at its annual conference in late June, the LGA called for a redoubling of efforts to insulate all fuel-poor homes by 2030, saving millions from energy bills each year.
A quarter of all families are now looking to improve energy efficiency as bills surge, but fuel poor households are least likely to afford the measures and the most likely to be impacted by rising energy prices.
The LGA’s analysis shows that two million households in fuel poverty will need additional help to implement energy efficiency measures to lift their homes up to energy performance certificate (EPC) rating C by 2030.
Additional help for these homes is crucial for hitting the Government’s ambition to retrofit a total of 3.1 million fuel poor homes to EPC C standard by 2030 – almost 900 homes a day.
Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s Environment Spokesperson, said: “So many homes are leaking more and more money as energy prices increase.
“Investment now will save households further down the line, ease the cost-of-living crisis and mean families have added security and flexibility within their budgets.
“Ensuring homes are well insulated also means fewer people are at risk of the health risks associated with living in cold, damp conditions, and this is work we have to do as part of our drive to net zero.”