Tag: Energy

Energy Secretary warned of perilous winter ahead

Following the new Energy Secretary’s first appearance in front of MPs, ministers have been warned of a perilous winter ahead.

A letter sent by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition to the new Secretary of State comes after the group warned MPs that almost 5,000 excess winter deaths were caused by people living in cold damp homes in the relatively mild winter of 2022/23.

The letter states that “the situation is perilous, the outlook deeply worrying and the need for support with energy bills is increasingly urgent.”

After the new Secretary of State failed to attend the House of Commons Energy Committee last week, her first major intervention since taking office was an article in the Sun which also failed to acknowledge the challenge faced by families this winter. 

And while Rt Hon Claire Coutinho MP answered questions in the House of Commons chamber on long term energy issues, she was silent on the need for help for families this winter.

But alongside longer-term reforms to Britain’s broken energy system, the Government has been urged by campaigners to launch a new “Help to Repay” to tackle energy debt this winter, to reform the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) Alternative Fund, to move policy costs from energy bills onto general government spending and to bring in a new Extreme Weather Payment.

To bring bills down for the most in need, a new energy cost support scheme (ECSS) has been proposed via the reduction of unit costs and standing charges under the existing Energy Price Guarantee legislation. 

Local authorities could also be supported by investing the underspend in the Energy Bills Support Scheme into Household Support Funds and further work to reform the Private Rented Sector to ensure higher and more enforceable Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition which is part of the Warm This Winter Campaign, commented:

“The Government appears to have abandoned plans to consult on reform of energy tariffs which could help protect the most vulnerable from the worst excesses of the energy market. This means they must bring in support to help people trapped in energy debt now and introduce an emergency tariff for vulnerable households this winter. We believe this is more than possible using existing legislation.”

Tessa Khan, director of Uplift, commented:

“While the minister is obsessed with nuclear fusion, oil and gas, the Government is ignoring the plight of millions of people facing a winter in cold damp homes. What the Secretary of State should be focussed on is helping people to insulate their homes, unblocking cheaper onshore renewables and bringing down our energy bills.”

ENDS

The full letter is available to read online (pdf) and is below.  It was sent on 8 September 2023.

On behalf of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, congratulations on your appointment as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

We appreciate that you will be incredibly busy with the volume of vital decisions that are in your in-tray. And we know from recent polling that policies to reduce energy bills are seen by voters as the best way to tackle the cost of living crisis.

It is vitally important that the right decisions are made to reform Britain’s broken energy system. As we explained in evidence to the House of Commons Energy Security Committee this week, the situation is perilous, the outlook deeply worrying and the need for support with energy bills is increasingly urgent. 

We were disappointed that the previous Secretary of State abandoned plans to consult on reform of energy tariffs which could help protect the most vulnerable from the worst excesses of the energy market in the long term. We hope you will recommit the Government to this vital consultation on a social tariff – and introduce reforms before the Energy Price Guarantee protections end in Spring 2024. You can read our letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons online [pdf link].

As an immediate priority, the Government must commit to providing a targeted package of support to help the most vulnerable stay warm this winter:

  • Introduce the widely supported “Help to Repay” proposals to tackle energy debt
  • Move policy costs from energy bills to be covered by general government spending
  • Support local authorities by investing the underspend in the Energy Bills Support Scheme into Household Support Funds
  • Reform and re-run the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) Alternative Fund
  • Deliver a new Extreme Weather Payment of £6.50 per day for every day the Met Office declares the temperature will drop below -4 degrees Celsius (with the potential for a similar equivalent for summer months also investigated)
  • Ensure that all households who received the Warm Homes Discount in winter 2021/22 can access a £150 rebate this winter, regardless of the new process introduced in winter 2022/23 which uses an algorithm to decide who benefits.
  • Provide a new energy cost support scheme (ECSS) for households most in need of support applied directly to energy accounts (for example via the reduction of unit costs and standing charges, which can be done using existing Energy Price Guarantee mechanisms).
  • Ban the forced transfer of homes to prepayment meters and end the Government’s dereliction of duty on this issue.
  • Work with housing ministers to reform the Private Rented Sector to ensure higher and more enforceable Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards

 At the moment, many of the other vital reforms needed to reduce energy bills are seen as longer term, but the reality is that decisions need to be taken now to:

  • Speed up reforms to ensure customers start enjoying the advantages of more affordable renewable electricity options, and that their electricity rates are no longer subject to the unpredictable cost fluctuations of fossil fuels. 
  • Turn the current crisis into an opportunity to engage households in a large-scale retrofitting programme, investing in an emergency roll out of cheap energy saving measures that could permanently cut energy bills by hundreds of pounds.
  • Address UK energy security and independence by quickly weaning the UK off its dependence on oil and gas and ending subsidies for fossil fuels, using the money to support a fair transition, invest in immediate support for vulnerable households and long term measures to reduce the cost of energy and make the UK supply more secure.
  • Ensure Ofgem works with energy firms to improve standards of customer service at energy firms, holding them accountable for contact ease, success and empathy. This means customers can get in touch with their energy supplier to resolve issues easily, that problems are solved in one contact and that customers are treated with respect and understanding throughout all forms of communication from the energy firm. 

 We look forward to working with you in your role and if you would like to discuss any of the issues we have raised, please do not hesitate to contact us via our coordinator.

Yours sincerely,

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition

 

Rising energy debt creates mental health crisis for households

Energy debt is causing mental health anguish for millions, with Brits now facing a summer of misery in an attempt to get back into the black before next winter takes hold, according to new research. [1]  

The research commissioned by the Warm This Winter campaign found that more than a quarter of people (29%) are currently in debt to their energy companies. 

Over one in ten (12%) vulnerable households, such as the elderly and disabled, are now sitting on an energy bill debt of at least £250 each. A fifth (18%) of prepayment meter customers owe upwards of £250 each, with many owing more than £500. 

More than half (54%) of people in energy debt are worried that they won’t be able to save enough over the summer months to pay off the accrued debt, rising to 70% of lower income households. 

Close to a third of respondents (30%) in energy debt are experiencing anxiety as a result and 12% say worrying about it is now making them ill. Over a fifth (22%) of vulnerable householders are spending sleepless nights thinking about it.

To combat this, one third (33%) of people in energy debt are now being forced to sacrifice essentials, including not keeping up with household maintenance (18%) and skipping meals (17%). 

One in ten (12%) say they will have to use other forms of debt, such as a credit card or overdraft to help pay off their energy bills.

The Chancellor’s energy price cap extension has done little to alleviate consumers’ concerns, with 56% of Britons saying they are unhappy or very unhappy with the level of support with energy bills which will be available for energy bills from 1st April.

People affected by energy debt should initially contact their energy firm or Citizens Advice for help. Those concerned for their mental health can contact Mind.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition which is part of the Warm This Winter campaign, commented:

Combined household energy debt will top £2.7bn by the end of June this year and the Government needs to bring together industry and charities to find a solution to the problem.

People will be unable to repay this staggering amount and rather than passing on bad debt to other bill payers, as the energy firms suggest, the Government should use targeted debt relief to wipe out part or all of the energy debt.

This will help the most vulnerable move out of fuel poverty and boost the spending power of hard-pressed consumers.

On Saturday 1st April 2023, a mass lobby of politicians will see people around the country come together to demand change. Over 70 events have been arranged nationwide, including demonstrations and meetings with local MPs to highlight the breadth of public concern about the energy crisis. 

Heidi Chow, executive director of Debt Justice, said: 

Energy debt is having a devastating effect on millions of households who can no longer afford to properly heat their homes, cook meals, or operate medical equipment. 

By ignoring the problem of energy debt the government is needlessly prolonging the anxiety. It is time for them to get their heads out of the sand and tackle this unpayable debt in a fair way. 

In March, campaigners from Warm This Winter delivered a 400,000-strong petition to Number 10 Downing Street calling for the government to take decisive action now to fix our broken energy system, which has left seven million UK households in fuel poverty this winter. 

Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, added:

This government has provided temporary relief for some over the winter, but utterly failed to fix the core problem facing the UK, which is the unaffordable price of energy.

Household bills are still double what they were two years ago and high energy costs are making food and other goods more expensive.

It is beyond time that the government took real action to permanently lower energy costs, which means rolling out support to upgrade homes and accelerating the development of cheap renewable energy, both of which have huge public support.

Instead of handing billions of pounds in subsidies to profitable oil and gas companies, this government should be 100% focused on helping ordinary households and businesses.

To find out more and get involved, visit https://www.warmthiswinter.org.uk/mass-lobby.

ENDS

[1] Researchers interviewed 2,196 people between 20th and 21st March 2023. Results were weighted to be representative of the GB population. GB 18+ population is 51,435,642 (ONS) with around 4.5m experiencing anxiety as a result of energy debt.

Energy self-disconnection epidemic hitting most vulnerable

Millions of elderly, disabled, young families and those with a serious health condition are spending the winter in cold damp homes, according to new research. [1]

The figures released to mark the Warm This Winter Day of Action, reveal 15% of vulnerable people have now “self-disconnected” by massively reducing their energy supply. A further 51% are now rationing – and somewhat reducing – their energy consumption.

As a result, almost a quarter (22%) of vulnerable people are now living in cold damp homes – with many of these (37%) experiencing such conditions for the first time this winter.

By comparison, 12% of the general population have self-disconnected and a further 50% are now rationing use, while 19% of the general public are now living in cold damp homes.

Anne Vivian-Smith from Nottingham will be sharing her story at the Warm This Winter rally against fuel poverty in London on 3 December 2022. Anne commented:

I spend my day sitting in the cold with four thermal layers, two blankets, and a hot water bottle. But if you’re immobile and don’t generate your own heat you can’t retain your own heat.

We just found out the cost of heating a room for one hour is £2. So if I put the heating on for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening that’s nearly £30 a week, £122 a month. Just for heating.

It’s impossible to afford that. Ceiling hoists, powered wheelchair, electric profiling bed and a motor assistive front door all add to cost.

Worse still is my electric Closomat loo – it’s costing me 30 pence to spend a penny!

Non-disabled people don’t face this level of humiliation, but this is the reality for many of us who use medical equipment or need extra help to get around.

I’ve become one of those people spending time on the bus.

I hadn’t appreciated the level of distress the cold is causing me until I recently had the opportunity to be in the warm for a bit. The project then closed so the chance was taken from me. I’m really struggling to lose all the negative feelings it’s caused.

The research goes on to show that Anne is not alone.

Over a third (38%) of vulnerable people have seen their mental health decline as a direct result of their bills.

Just as worryingly, 44% of people with a health condition or disability have seen their condition deteriorate over the last three months.

To mark the Warm This Winter Day of Action, events at over 40 locations around the UK will take place. These range from public rallies and occupation of public spaces to “warm up” to creating fuel poverty Christmas cards to send to MPs.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

If people self-disconnect or drastically reduce their energy use, they are at risk from the severe health complications of living in a cold damp home.

People on low incomes have always saved energy, they don’t need the government to tell them how to do so.

But now rising costs are forcing them to go much further, risking their own health by cutting energy use to the point that they are living in a cold damp home.

Children and those who are elderly, disabled or have pre-existing medical conditions are especially vulnerable this winter.

Jelly Moring, Organiser at Parents for Future UK which is one of the organisations staging arts and craft-based events on the day of acton, added:

It is appalling and unjustifiable that millions of vulnerable households are struggling to pay their energy bills and keep their homes warm this winter while energy companies make record profits.

Real action from the government is needed.

Along with providing increased support to those who are suffering the most, it is critical that the government also properly fund home upgrades and replace expensive and volatile fossil fuels with clean, cheap, homegrown renewables.

Only then can we lower bills for households in the long term and keep our families warm in the winter.

Dan Paskins, Director of UK Impact at Save the Children, said:

This report is shocking but sadly not surprising. We know parents on the lowest incomes are deeply worried about how they are going to keep their children warm over the Christmas holidays, and will be making sacrifices.

They might be cooking hot food only for their children and having cold food themselves, or nothing at all.

They’re likely to be turning off the heating in their bedrooms to make sure there’s enough money left to keep their children warm.

With the cost-of-living payments from the UK government not coming in until April, millions of families face a miserable winter where they may struggle to heat their homes.

The UK government needs to step in now and provide cost of living support this winter, and not wait to bring in further measures in the Spring.

Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift and one of the organisers of the Warm This Winter Day of Action, commented:

This government is clearly failing to fix the energy price crisis when so many households in the UK are rationing their energy use. What’s worse is that Ministers know how to solve it, starting with urgently insulating homes on a scale and with levels of funding that we’ve yet to see.

If the government can subsidise oil and gas companies to the tune of many billions to develop new North Sea fields, which by the way will do nothing to help people, it can and must plough equivalent amounts into insulating homes, which is guaranteed to reduce people’s bills and make sure the elderly, disabled, parents with small children can stay warm this winter.

Ruth London of Fuel Poverty Action said:

There is growing anger at the absolute poverty so many people are facing now – it feels like going back to Victorian times. And why?

There is plenty of money.

Energy corporations are making eye-watering profits from the money we are paying them. Patriotic Millionaires are crying out to be taxed. And meanwhile people are dying in cold, uninsulated homes.

Fuel Poverty Action is fighting for Energy For All – enough energy free for each home to cover the basics like heating and lighting, paid for by windfall taxes, ending the millions spent daily on fossil fuel subsidies, and higher tariffs for luxury or wasteful energy use.

ENDS

Image from Shutterstock posed by actor.

[1] 2,198 people interviewed between 29-30 November 2022. Results were weighted to be representative of the UK population.

The UK Population aged 18 or over stands at 52,890,044 (ONS). Of these 60.04% (31,755,182) are classed as being vulnerable (i.e. having a disability, long term lung, heart or mental health condition, being aged over 65 or having a child aged 0-6 in the home). Of these 22.02% (6,992,491) are living in a cold damp home.

Of these 37.18% (2,599,808) are experiencing living in a cold damp home for the first time this year (this represents 8.2% of all vulnerable people).

Among the general population 3,914,224 are living in cold damp homes for the first time (7.4% of total UK population).

Fuel poverty in Chancellor’s own constituency hits new high

An exclusive report in Richmondshire Today, Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s local paper, has set out how fuel poverty in the rural constituency is higher than in parts of London.

Data projections from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition found that over 6.3m households (27% of homes in England) woke up in fuel poverty on 1 April 2022, but some areas of the country suffered more than others.

On the Chancellor’s home turf, 14,000 households in his constituency of Richmond (Yorks) will be in fuel poverty (29.7%).

The numbers in wider Richmondshire are also among the worst in rural England (32.3%). By comparison, around a third of households in market town Kings Lynn and rural West Norfolk will be in fuel poverty (33.8%), as will similar numbers in North East Lincolnshire (33.2%), Herefordshire (32.9%) and Shropshire (32.8%).

Indeed, Richmondshire has similar levels of fuel poverty as Middlesborough and higher levels than places such as Salford and parts of London, such as Wandsworth.

Reports in the Daily Telegraph suggest that the barrier to implementing measures to tackle fuel poverty is the Richmond (Yorks) MP, Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

A spokesperson from from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

The Government has talked about this for long enough, but fails to match words with action. That even the suffering on the Chancellor’s own door step is failing to make him act sends a very worrying message to the constituents who are facing stark choices in the months ahead.

We need to see urgent help for households in fuel poverty now combined with a long-term plan to improve energy efficiency of our homes and investment in a sustainable, renewable-led, energy mix.

Meanwhile, the Government’s energy security strategy has been widely criticised by End Fuel Poverty Coalition members for not doing enough to support increased energy efficiency measures in the nation’s homes.

Juliet Phillips, from E3G, commented:

The Energy Security Strategy has failed to deliver for British families facing a cost-of-living crisis and done little to support a rapid shift from Russian energy imports.

With estimates that one in three households could be left in fuel poverty this autumn, the focus should have been on rapid measures to boost energy security at home.

However, the Prime Minister has let the Chancellor block any solutions which could have delivered tangible results this year.

By instead emphasising on technologies which won’t deliver until far into the future, the government has both failed to meet the moment, and failed to read the mood of the nation.

UNISON national energy officer Matthew Lay said:

To call this a strategy is a complete misnomer.

It does nothing to ease the pain people are feeling now, nor to bring Britain closer to meeting its net zero targets. It’s a smokescreen covering the mistakes of the past that have left us so dangerously reliant on fossil fuels.

Lack of detail on how any changes will be funded is worryingly familiar. Already-squeezed consumers will likely have to fork out to make up for years of energy mismanagement.

It’s totally unforgivable to have no plan for insulating Britain’s leaky housing stock, which would cut bills now and ease some of the pain being felt by millions.

Image: Shutterstock

Organisations condemn unprecedented Ofgem price hike

Ofgem has confirmed the worst price hike in energy costs in the history of the price cap.

According to End Fuel Poverty Coalition estimates, the £139 rise (equating to 12.2%) will result in an additional 488,000 households in fuel poverty.

Over 4m people are already estimated to be behind on their household bills and the price cap rise will take effect this autumn at the same time as the furlough scheme and the Universal Credit uplift end.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said:
This unprecedented hike in energy bills comes at the worst possible time for millions of households across the country.
It is difficult to put into words just how devastating this news will be for people.
Especially hard hit will be vulnerable customers and those on pre-pay meters who are unable to switch suppliers and will be facing a winter in abject fuel poverty.
Switching advice and the price cap may provide some protection from the worst excesses of the energy market, but this will be no comfort to those now facing the stark choice between heating and eating.
The Government must take immediate action to provide emergency support for those who suffer due to the decision and speed up plans to improve the energy efficiency of the nations’ homes.

The Big Issue has recently warned of increasing levels of homelessness, caused in part by fuel poverty. Jacky Peacock from Advice for Renters, commented:

Recent research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that 400,000 private renters already face eviction for Covid related rent arrears and up to a million are worried about being evicted in the next three months .  The hike in fuel costs could be the final nail in the tenancy coffin for these tenants, with homelessness escalating at a cost of billions to the public purse.

William Baker from Solutions to Tackle Energy Poverty (STEP) commented:

The massive rise in fuel bills caused by the price cap hike will affect most those hit hardest by the impacts of Covid and lockdown. It’s essential that the Government does not cut the £20 increase in Universal Credit this September and accelerates plans to improve home energy standards so that low income consumers waste less money on heating leaky homes.

Fuel poverty can make respiratory illnesses worse – meaning conditions such as Covid may be exacerbated by living in cold damp homes.

Ian Preston, head of household energy at the Centre for Sustainable Energy said:

The energy advice sector will face a tsunami of demand from people needing support once furlough ends, benefits reduce and bills go up. This price increase on energy bills is hitting at the worst possible time; just before winter, when millions of people are already struggling to pay their bills and people are spending more time at home than ever due to the pandemic.

Cold homes cause misery, ill-health and social exclusion. Many government and industry support programmes are due to end soon and people will struggle to survive. A warm home is a basic human right and it’s going to be a really tough winter unless we see action to maintain support for people in vulnerable circumstances.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, added:

The level at which energy prices are capped is of enormous importance to older people, because we know they are less likely to switch providers for a better deal – especially if they are not online, which is the case for about half of the 75+ population. For all those who are therefore effectively stuck on their existing tariffs, the best protection they have against unfair and unaffordable fuel bills is a robust energy price cap. Unfortunately, the fact that the cap is going up significantly this year will set them up for a miserable and anxious winter.
We know that many older people resist turning their heating up high enough to stay warm during cold spells, for fear of the cost. Sadly, today’s announcement is likely to mean even more older people find themselves in this horrible position and energy suppliers must identify and support those that will struggle in the cold months to come.

National Energy Action has developed a briefing setting out the support and solutions the government can implement. Peter Smith from NEA said:

This is a devastating increase. Millions of household budgets are already stretched to the limit and this massive increase could not be coming at a worse time. As well as a significant rise in general inflation – driving up spending on other essentials such as food – the new cap level takes effect in October when millions of people will see a reduction in their incomes, as furlough winds down and the uplifts to Universal Credit are likely to be withdrawn. This toxic combination of higher prices, reduced incomes and leaky, inefficient housing, will lead to a further surge in utility debt and badly damage physical and mental health this winter.

There is far more Ofgem and the UK Government can do to help to protect the most vulnerable consumers this winter. For years Ofgem and [the UK] Government have insisted the way to avoid increases to bills is to switch. Many fixed deals have however come to an end and for some customers switching is impossible due to levels of debt or because pre-pay customers have far fewer options to switch supplier or tariff. There may be limited scope to mute the impact of soaring wholesale prices within the cap, but Ofgem can and must provide deeper protection for the most vulnerable customers. The UK Government can also directly help reduce energy arrears as well as maintaining investment to reduce needless energy waste in our homes.

Ruth London, co-director of Fuel Poverty Action, concluded:

The massive increase in price-capped energy bills will be a body blow to millions, and advice to shop around for cheaper deals does not add up as a solution: If everyone affected switched, the deals would disappear, to cover suppliers’ costs and profits. Finding a better deal is laborious and suppliers rely on catching out those who are not only cash poor, but time poor. Placing the onus on victims to individually find an escape from the price hike is a false solution. Change needs to go beyond redistributing poverty.

We need a new pricing framework, where poorer people don’t pay higher rates than the rich. We need well-insulated housing, renewable energy, new heating systems, and wages and benefits that meet our costs. Fuel Poverty Action believes the government should investigate a totally new pricing system where everyone is guaranteed, free of cost, the basic energy we need for our homes and our health, while more cost falls on those who are heating mansions or joy-riding into space.

 

Business and charities unite in call for energy efficiency investment

End Fuel Poverty Coalition members have joined leading charities and businesses in a new drive for energy efficient investment.

A Declaration, ‘Energy Efficiency First’, has been published, calling on all political parties to make investment in home energy efficiency an infrastructure investment priority.

The Declaration states that to reach the UK’s legally binding net-zero emission and fuel poverty targets, all the UK’s homes will have to be made highly energy efficient. Additional public capital investment of £1 billion a year for the next 15 years is needed to ensure the targets are achieved.

The signatories point out that there is potential to reduce energy demand in UK homes by at least a quarter, saving the average household £270 every year. A quarter of the energy currently used could be saved and there is technical potential to cut home energy use in half.

The Declaration has been published on the day that the Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group (EEIG) sets out its vision for how to make all UK homes energy efficient. Called ‘The Net-Zero Litmus Test’, it reminds politicians that energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to decarbonise the economy and would deliver a net benefit of over £50 billion to UK households, businesses and government.

The report finds that installation rate of home insulation measures has been cut by 95% since 2012. 170,000 homes are being upgraded with energy efficiency improvements in the UK each year but the number needs to rapidly rise to 1.2 million a year in order to meet decarbonisation targets.

The EEIG reports progress made against the its six-step plan to set up an energy efficiency infrastructure programme for the UK and sets out how to get on track.

Peter Smith, Director of Policy and Research at National Energy Action, and End Fuel Poverty Coalition Member said:

Fuel poverty continues to be a very real and stark reality for millions of people across the UK. The aim to reach net-zero is one of the most ambitious strategic goals the UK Government has ever set. It will have profound implications for all UK citizens, businesses and society at large.

The UK can only move rapidly towards net-zero, whilst creating a fair energy future for all citizens, if we urgently provide central investment to improve domestic energy efficiency. The top priority is to help the poorest households living in least efficient homes, mainly in rural areas and other hard to heat homes.

Alasdair MacEwen, Spokesperson for the Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group said:

Achieving net-zero emissions cost-effectively is simply impossible without a huge cut in energy demand. Whether any political party is prepared to do this is the litmus test of whether it is serious about achieving net-zero emissions. It can only be achieved if we treat the decarbonisation of homes as the UK’s number one infrastructure priority. No other infrastructure project can benefit so many and at the same time create returns on investment.

Tom Thackray, Director of Infrastructure and Energy Policy at the CBI said:

All government departments must buy in to improving the efficiency of our homes and buildings and work with industry to provide the correct regulation. Treating energy efficiency as an infrastructure priority, would change the way in which it is approached by the Government allowing the issue to be treated as other public investments, such as in public buildings and transport infrastructure. It would send a clear message to investors and consumers as to the direction and ambition of government policy.

The EEIG represents a growing and broad-based coalition of over 25 industry groups, NGOs, charities and businesses that are asking for rapid improvement on energy efficiency in homes and buildings policy in the UK.

For a full list of signatures to the Declaration, please visit www.e3g.org