Better insulation makes our homes more energy efficient, so why isn’t it more of a priority? Let’s find out more.
Energy prices are on the rise again. The energy price cap is due to rise by almost 10% this winter, meaning the average household will pay £1,717 per year for gas and electricity when they previously paid £1,568. At times like this, having a well-insulated home becomes more important than ever. After all, if the heat in your home just escapes through poorly insulated gaps without benefitting you, you’re watching your money float away.
However, insulation has been a rather neglected part of construction over the years – and industry experts are demanding action. In this article, we’ll look in more detail at the challenges we face and propose possible solutions.
Time for action
The UK has the most poorly insulated homes in Western Europe. Researchers found that if you heat the average home in the UK to 20 degrees when it’s 0 degrees outside, it loses 3 degrees every 5 hours. That’s three times faster than the average home in Germany or Norway.
The problem is that many homes in the UK are very old (37% of homes were built before 1946). When these homes were constructed, they weren’t insulated well, while wear-and-tear has deteriorated them further.
Unfortunately, it’s often people on lower incomes who live in the worst-insulated homes. To warm their homes to a comfortable level, they have to have their heating on for longer, which costs them more. In times when energy prices are high, this is a serious challenge.
Successive governments have done little to address this situation. David Cameron scrapped a compulsory home improvement scheme which saw 2.3 million homes receive subsidised insulation upgrades in 2012. In 2023, Rishi Sunak’s government abolished a plan to require landlords to upgrade their properties’ energy efficiency ratings to C or higher.
Industry experts are now asking the new Labour government to focus more on insulation as part of their plan to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.
What’s the answer?
You can approach the problem of high energy prices and low energy efficiency in the nation’s homes in two ways.
One approach is to reduce our reliance on expensive natural gas. Fitting more homes with solar panels or installing heat pumps could make heating much more affordable and better for the planet.
However, upgrading existing homes’ insulation while requiring new homes to have much better insulation is a more straightforward solution. The new government appears to know it too. It is promoting a ‘warm homes plan’ with £13.2 billion of investment behind it. It is also examining new regulations for housebuilders concerning heat pumps, solar panels and insulation.
On the other hand, the construction industry would argue that it will be more expensive to build houses if they have to meet strict energy regulations. Will the government end up having to sacrifice these standards in order to meet its target of building 1.5 million houses in the next five years?
Looking to the future
It’s not ideal for anyone to rely on natural gas to heat their homes. Gas is expensive, markets are volatile, and of course, it’s a fossil fuel that emits carbon when burned. When you add in the fact that the average home is poorly insulated, with people’s hard-earned money escaping through the walls, it’s clear that something needs to be done.
We hope the government, the construction industry and other stakeholders can work together to make it happen. At clixifix, we’re ready to play our part.