“Cheaper Bills, Warmer Homes” – An independent plan to retrofit the UK’s housing stock, developed for the Labour Party, by a cross sector group of UK industry experts

Donal Brown

University of Sussex, UK

Dr Donal Brown will present the ‘Cheaper Bills, Warmer Homes’ report, commissioned by Labour and Ed Miliband MP in 2022, and supported with funding from the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions Impact Acceleration Award (CREDS IAA), Knauf Insulation, the New Economics Foundation, Ecology Building Society and the Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group (EEIG). The ambitious report, drawing on existing research – outlines a costed 10-year plan to support the ‘future fitting’ of UK homes to improve their energy efficiency. The report is centred on a “6-point plan” including developing a national strategy, through local delivery; to tackle fuel poverty by reducing energy wastage; ensuring a financed renovation for all; to fix broken housing standards; to create half a million green jobs; and to decarbonise heat.

As well as addressing the energy aspect of the cost-of-living crisis, the plans seek to improve existing and future housing stock and associated quality of life, in addition to tackling climate change through the reduced carbon footprint of heating UK homes. Bringing together academic expertise with a cross-sector group of UK industry experts, the authors of the report expect it to influence energy policy in the UK Labour Party manifesto in 2024.