Nearly half of Britain’s 26 million homes have inadequate insulation and could be wasting at least £100 a year in energy costs, according to government figures out today.

The figures indicate that while 57% of homes have been properly insulated and 58% of cavity walls filled, there are over 40% of homes requiring attention.

The Government is strengthening its Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) scheme, which requires energy companies to help their customers reduce energy usage.

By December 2012, the Government wants to see 3.5 million homes benefit from energy efficiency measures installed through the scheme.

Over the next 18 months, three million homes will have to be treated at an average rate of around 140,000 a month.

The target will mean keeping up current levels of installation – which increased to 170,000 cavity wall insulations and 251,000 loft insulations in the first quarter of the year.

“We are making energy companies do more to help their hard pressed customers,” says Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne.

Next year will also see the start of the Government’s flagship Green Deal initiative, which will aim to help householders install a wider range of energy efficiency measures, including replacing windows and upgrading heating systems, paid for through savings on energy bills.

For further information:
www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/stats/energy/energy-efficiency/1918-statistical-release-home-insulation-0611.pdf
www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/en_effic_stats/en_effic_stats.aspx

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UK Government’s Green Deal won’t help the most vulnerable, warns green group (2-Mar)