Ahead of the upcoming ‘Energy Independence Strategy’ UKGBC have sent Boris Johnson a letter stressing that increasing energy efficiency is crucial in efforts to improve Britain’s energy security.
So far, the debate on energy security following the invasion of Ukraine has centred around the exploitation of new fossil fuels and, most controversially, fracking.
UKGBC believes that this is misguided and that to reduce energy bills for customers, and ensure a secure energy supply, we need to first improve the energy efficiency of our homes and invest in renewables.
One in every 6 tonnes of carbon emitted in the UK comes from our homes. There is huge potential for improvement. 19 million of the UK’s 29 million homes are on the bottom rungs of the Energy Performance rankings with a rating of “D” or below. Improving these to band “C” would cut gas demand by 20% per home.
Many of the key policies and funding needed to deliver energy efficiency could be announced immediately, while a large-scale national retrofit programme, a pathway for which is set out in UKGBC’s ‘Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap‘, is required to systematically reduce energy demand and decarbonise all of the UK’s homes.
UKGBC will be sending further recommendations to the Chancellor prior to the release of Spring Statement later in March.
