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Taking back control: Where next for household energy efficiency policy in the UK?

We need a new politics of energy efficiency, focused on putting people in control of their place in the world: their homes, their local environment and their family finances.

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Consensus is building across the political spectrum around the need for a permanent solution to the problem of increasingly unaffordable energy bills in the UK. While some have suggested that green policies are to blame for the increasing costs, the main drivers have in fact been rising energy imports and price pressure due to increasing global energy demand. Indeed, the Coalition Government’s cut to the Energy Company Obligation to support energy efficiency has hindered rather than helped manage these impacts. Energy prices are still relatively low in the UK compared to many European countries, but the UK has some of the most inefficient housing stock in Europe. As such, it simply takes more energy to keep our homes warm compared to elsewhere in Europe and this drives up bills.

This report outlines a number of steps the next government should take to address this challenge and get a grip on energy bills once and for all.

 

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Authors

Ed Wallis

Ed Wallis is policy manager at Locality. He was previously editor of the Fabian Review.

Rebecca Lawson

Rebecca Lawson was formerly policy advisor working in E3G's low carbon finance programe.

@Becs_Lawson

Ingrid Holmes

Ingrid Holmes is a director at E3G.

@IngridHolmes7

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