Ahead of this week’s Economic Statement, nine organisations have come together calling for the introduction of major energy efficiency stimulus within the UK economic recovery package.

In a letter composted to the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, the group, of which the BBA is part, has called for the reconsideration to include existing homes as part of the £2.5 billion investment in the energy efficiency scheme as part of the Home Upgrade Grands (HUG) Scheme.

As part of the 2019 Conservative Manifesto, the UK government pledged to invest in a scheme that would improve the energy efficiency of UK homes, unfortunately, following the Prime Minister’s speech in Dudley on 30th June this year, it was learnt that existing homes were not included in the scheme.

The Prime Minister’s ‘Build Back Better’ speech highlighted the importance of creating the right environments that would enable young talent to prosper, pointing out the need to refurbish dilapidated schools and FE institutions. However young people living in cold, leaky homes whose parent or guardian cannot afford basic necessities due to the cost of heating are also at a tremendous disadvantage.

The letter called for the HUG scheme to be confirmed as part of the Economic Statement scheduled and a pilot version introduced ahead of the National Infrastructure Strategy.

Not only would this create much-needed employment, reduce energy bills, support the and Government’s climate strategy, but it would deliver far-reaching benefits right across the country.

In the first year of the HUG scheme, the delivery of 10,000 deep home energy retrofits would create 500 jobs and save the NHS £63 million; rolled out at scale, the scheme would deliver 185,000 retrofits, 8,000 jobs and a significant £1 billion saving for the NHS. This would go a long way to easing the strain on the service that has seen us through the worst of the health crisis.

The National Insulation Association (NIA) has published a blueprint for a pilot version of the Home Upgrade Grants scheme which sets out how it could be introduced this calendar year. Although individual organisations may have preferences on scheme design we are united on the economic and societal benefits that could be achieved.

View the letter here