Is Insulation and Energy Efficiency on the Exhale in the UK?

Although energy efficiency has been a burning issue over the years, whereas a lot of effort has been invested into developing various programs and schemes, partly financed and supported by the government, the recent data show that insulation and energy efficiency seems to be on the exhale in the UK. According to the figures from the Association for the Conservation of Energy, the energy efficiency measures installed during the 2014 have been reduced for over 60%, recording only 661,000 measures instead of 1.65 million measures, including loft and cavity wall insulation, during 2012 and 2013. The same goes for not as radical insulation measures, such as installing new energy efficient boilers, where there have been over 2.5 million fittings during 2008 and 2009.

What could be even more alarming is that further drop is expected in the months to come, whereas the studies have shown that only a little over 500.000 measures are expected to be installed over the following year.

It has been speculated that the main reason for such fall is the failure and unsatisfactory results of developed and implemented schemes such as the Green Deal and the ECO (Energy Company Obligation), as well as the termination of the Warm Front, projected for low income properties. Although the Department for Energy and Climate Change has stated that the Green Deal and ECO have contributed to improving energy efficiency in 694,000 homes and that the Green Dealhas issued £16.5 million for energy efficient home improvements, the fact is that only 132 properties have signed up for available insulation measures.

The fact that UK is among countries with the highest rates of fuel poverty in Western Europe and that around 25.000 people are dying of cold each year, should only raise awareness on importance of insulation in each UK home. This is something the Energy Bill Revolution, an organization gathered around 180 unions, charities and business is also insisting on, emphasizing that “The Government must make home energy efficiency an infrastructure investment priority to put the funding in place... Insulation should be a fundamental strand of the UK’s infrastructure programme “ as pointed out by Ed Matthew, Director of the Energy Bill Revolution. 

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