Energy Saving Trust responds to 2022 Spring Statement

Today (23 March) Chancellor Rishi Sunak outlined the measures the UK Government will take in response to rising energy bills and the wider cost-of-living crisis.

Mike Thornton, chief executive of Energy Saving Trust, said: “With millions in fuel poverty and millions more at increasing risk, households are still in need of further emergency measures to tackle the huge energy price rises ahead, going beyond the limited additional support announced today.  

“Tackling the cost-of-living and energy crises must go hand in hand with meeting net zero ambitions and reducing costs in the long-term. UK energy bills are already nearly £2.5 billion higher than they would have been had green policies not been scrapped over the past decade.

“It is therefore good news that VAT will be cut to help homeowners install renewables and energy efficiency measures such as heat pumps, solar panels and insulation that will help reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels, as well as help tackle rising fuel bills. 

“But the UK Government still needs to go further. Instead of cutting fuel duty the UK Government could be investing more in its existing energy efficiency programmes, offering lower energy bills year on year to struggling households and reducing emissions. Improving the energy efficiency of the UK’s most inefficient homes to meet an EPC C rating could reduce energy bills for those homes by an average of £500 a year. 

“To ensure our transition to a cleaner, more affordable and reliable energy future, the anticipated Energy Security Strategy must now build on the measures announced today and prioritise home energy efficiency, supported by an impartial advice service and accelerate the roll out of renewable generation.”