While those operating in the green technology sector are aware of the vital importance energy efficiency plays in the transition to net zero, as we saw in September’s Energy Plan statement, seemingly it is not playing out as a solution to rising fuel bills and the realities of climate change.
Properly insulated buildings provide a host of benefits and opportunities. Using the example of domestic insulation, 14 per cent of UK emissions come from energy use in homes with only 12 per cent of households meeting Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C, a classification related to the energy efficiency and environmental impact of homes. New government regulation is focussing on improving energy efficiency in homes and, as from 2025, all UK homes will need to have an EPC rating of C or above.
Why insulate buildings?
Insulation is good for the planet and for the pocket, and for the 3.16 million fuel poor households across the UK, insulation offers an instant and tangible antidote to the cost-of-living crisis.
Insulation refers to a range of measures designed to improve the energy efficiency of buildings by trapping heat and reducing energy waste. Improving the EPC rating of UK homes and commercial buildings using insulation will drastically reduce carbon emissions. According to the Energy Saving Trust, a detached house in England, Scotland or Wales with solid wall insulation could save 1500kg of CO2 emissions every year.
Properly insulated buildings are the first step to unlocking other low carbon technologies, such as heat pumps. Without properly insulated buildings, the positive effects of other green building technologies will not reach their full potential or be used in the most practical or efficient way.
Government plans and support packages to retrofit buildings are in place, including the plan to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028. This plan will run alongside a £450 million boiler upgrade scheme, with an end for new gas or oil boilers, and a push for businesses and households to uptake renewables. But these types of schemes are only applicable to households who have already reached a certain level of energy efficiency. With each government programme designed to promote self-generating solutions, insulators are required to prepare buildings for low carbon transition.
At Green Economy, we work with a range of trusted and experienced heat pump installers who cite poor insulation as a common reason for turning down new projects commercial and household projects. As a membership organisation for providers of green solutions, our purpose is to build partnerships between insulators and green installers through our marketplace to ensure that no project is unmanageable and every retrofit project can be serviced.
This is why we are launching our campaign to bring as many insulation firms as possible to our marketplace, to help our members to deliver retrofit products that will increase efficiency and reduce energy bills. Amy House, Director of Green Economy said at the launch of the campaign:
