146 years to insulate Britain’s homes

It will take 146 years to make Britain’s homes insulated and net-zero compliant. That is the current concern coming from Climate Change think tank E3G. 

Given that the government’s current targets are to insulate 300,000 homes by 2026 that is incredibly alarming.

That alarm only grows when one considers that £1 billion has already been spent on the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS). A cost that had only seen some 1,026 homes insulated under the government’s flagship scheme.

With the cost of living crisis only expected to get worse and with the climate emergency not shifting any time soon, these figures should be cause for concern. Indeed, several MPs including Green MP Caroline Lucas have called the government’s performance abysmal. Tory MPs such as Alexander Stafford, who sits on the net zero committee in Parliament has also voiced concern.

Whether the government and any potential successors  will be able to meet its target remains up in the air. What is clear is that insulation needs to become a higher priority.