Almost 8,000 ‘fuel poor’ households across Bath and North East Somerset are forking out an extra £250 per year on fuel bills due to leaky homes, according to new research.
West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris is calling for an urgent “retrofit ramp up” to improve insulation in homes, with heat being wasted through walls, windows and roofs.
£250 a year’s worth of costly heat is lost through poorly insulated housing on average, according to research from the Local Government Association (LGA).
However, properly insulating these homes could save up to £1.1 million a year in energy bills in Bath and North East Somerset.
The LGA also said it would reduce NHS costs by £1.1 million annually, as cold and damp homes contribute to illness, and cut a vital 1,300 tons of carbon dioxide a year from the area to tackle the climate emergency.
Mr Norris said the findings show the need to redouble efforts to insulate homes.
As part of the Metro Mayor’s flagship Green Recovery fund, the West of England Combined Authority is investing over £3 million to begin retrofitting over 250,000 homes in need of energy improvements across the region.
Dan Norris said: “I’ve never understood why the Government with all the powers and resources at their fingertips have failed to do something as simple as organise a basic loft lagging scheme.
“But the failure of the Government on insulating homes means the West of England Combined Authority I lead has had to step up to the plate.
“The Climate Change Committee warned in a scathing report last week that ministers were missing the mark on insulation.
“From Georgian Bath townhouses, to Bristolian Victorian terraces to beautiful lias stone cottages and more, there are huge numbers of homes that need investment now to ease the cost-of-living crisis and ensure we meet our ambitious net zero targets.”