25 million homes need insulation

A report submitted to Parliament suggests that 25 million existing homes will not meet insulation standards by 2050. If all of those homes were to be brought up to standard by 2050, one home a minute would have to be refurbished between now and then.

It is estimated that a third of carbon emissions come from draughty buildings, and with the UK currently bound by a target to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, it is important to address such issues.

Although the Government has said that it will start working on new policies to address the problem as soon as possible, some critics have said ministers have been too slow to impose a programme of home renovation to improve bills, health, comfort and happiness. However, local authorities currently have few resources to insulate homes belonging to them, and landlords and homeowners are reportedly reluctant to invest in home-improvement, such as insulation, considering the pay-back could be years.

The authors of the report say that this huge challenge presents the opportunity of creating more jobs. The report recommends:

• setting staged targets for refurbishing buildings;
• reintroducing the zero-carbon standard for buildings from 2020;
• recognising energy efficiency as a national infrastructure priority;
• setting long-term trajectories for raising home energy standards;
• obliging commercial buildings to display the amount of energy they use.

However, questions will undoubtedly be raised as to how such home-improvements could be financed.