Five years into the energy bills crisis, millions of people are still living in cold, damp homes that are making them ill and putting avoidable pressure on the NHS. New polling shows that while headline numbers have barely shifted, people with health conditions and renters remain far more likely to be stuck in unsafe housing, with damp and mould a daily reality for many.
Against this backdrop, the media is reporting that the long-awaited Warm Homes Plan will now be delayed until the New Year. A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:
“Every week of delay to the Warm Homes Plan means households are stuck in cold, damp homes for longer.
“And every week of delay also means more pressure on the NHS as it has to deal with the health consequences of people living with mould and cold, and delays mean more uncertainty for supply chains who deliver energy efficiency measures.
“After five years of the energy bills crisis and 18 months of a Government elected to deliver a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan, people cannot wait indefinitely for a clear strategy to make homes warmer, safer and cheaper to heat.
“The government must urgently set out when the Warm Homes Plan will be published and, crucially, how it will prioritise support for those in the coldest and most unhealthy homes.
“Warm homes are not a nice-to-have. They are a basic right and a public health necessity.”