Home energy efficiency ‘should be an infrastructure priority’

Promoting a greener built environment and enhancing the energy efficiency of the nation’s housing stock should be a top government priority, a new report from Frontier Economics has claimed.

Outlining its position, the body argued the provision of measures to tackle excessive carbon emissions from UK housing – including the delivery of schemes to provide additional home insulation and other green improvements – is now essential.

The report has been backed by more than 50 of the UK’s leading energy efficiency groups and sector professionals, including Kingfisher, Knauf Insulation, Co-operative Energy, the Energy Saving Trust, and more.

Director of the Energy Bill Revolution Ed Matthew said: “The government has rightly decided that it is time for a rethink on energy efficiency. Now it is essential to develop a new, value for money infrastructure programme that works to keep our homes warm and bills down.

“Today’s research is clear: investing in energy efficiency offers significant net economic benefits to the nation, comparable to infrastructure investments in roads and railways.”

According to Frontier Economics’ data, a focus on improved energy efficiency for UK housing could have far-reaching economic, as well as green, benefits. Indeed, it is believed that increased support for energy efficiency programmes could create up to 108,000 new jobs in the years ahead, as well as bolstering the nation’s energy security.