Warm Homes Plan Archives - End Fuel Poverty Coalition

Government announces fresh range of changes to bring down energy costs

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has set out a package of measures designed to reduce the country’s dependence on volatile costs of fossil fuels.

Recent polling carried out for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition found that 77% of the public agreed that ‘history just keeps repeating itself with energy prices’ and 72% felt that ‘our reliance on oil and gas makes us vulnerable to global price shocks.’ [1]

Ministers have backed the public’s view, arguing that two fossil fuel shocks in less than five years demonstrate that “the era of fossil fuel security is over, and the era of clean energy security must come of age.”

As part of the package of measures, the Government has increased support for households using heating oil and LPG to move to heat pumps by raising the boiler upgrade scheme grants to a total of £9,000. Moves will also be taken to make installing heat pumps easier in flats.

An additional £100 million in funding will help deliver energy upgrades to 100,000 social homes through the Warm Homes Plan, on top of the £1.2 billion pledged earlier this year.

A £25 million pilot scheme, delivered via local authorities and mayors, will install plug-in solar panels for low-income households.

Measures taken by the Chancellor include a new carrot and stick approach to reforming the cost of some electricity generation where energy firms are incentivised to lower prices by moving to new contracts or face higher windfall taxes.

Other announcements include:

A cross-government drive to build renewables on public estate land and expand solar-installation support for schools and colleges.
Legislation and consultation to expand EV charging provision, including cross-pavement charging, new and renovated buildings and easier access for renters and leaseholders.
A wide-ranging overhaul of planning, land access and grid connection rules to speed up clean energy infrastructure.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented

“Every spike in global gas markets feeds directly into household energy costs, and people in fuel poverty often pay the heaviest price.

“Research shows that the public understands this and wants to take action, but needs support to invest in energy efficiency measures.

“Any speeding up of the Warm Homes Plan will deliver more support to households quicker than planned. However, delivery through this Plan must include locally provided, specialist advice to ensure households choose the right options and a Warm Homes Guarantee so that consumers are sure to see the benefits of new technology.

“With bills forecast to rise from July, moves to get energy efficiency measures into homes and plans to delink the cost of gas from electricity bills can’t come soon enough. But until these reforms take effect, it’s clear that households will also need support with their energy costs.

“The households most exposed to that increase need support now, not just long-term structural change. That means help for those on low incomes, in poorly insulated homes, or relying on heating oil and LPG outside the price cap.”

Gavin Smart, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Housing, said:

“As another international crisis starts to push energy bills even higher, it is right that the government looks to accelerate the Warm Homes Plan.

“Every piece of loft insulation or solar panel that we install helps to keep homes warmer and cheaper to power, while reducing our reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets. CIH and our members will continue to support the government with this work in these crucial months before next winter.”

Jonathan Bean from Fuel Poverty Action, added:

“Any progress is welcome, but we are still a million miles from fair and affordable energy for all. Without bigger changes, millions of people will still face cold homes and unaffordable electricity prices.

“Our energy system will still be dominated by huge profits and high prices. Half-baked plans for air-to-air heat pumps and plug-in solar will still fail most people living in flats.

“Those most in need will still not get their fair share of the cheap clean energy we are generating. Government must make green fair, and deliver on its election promise to reduce bills by £300.”

National Energy Action responded on LinkedIn, commenting:

“Measures that deliver genuinely cheaper and more stable electricity prices for households, with a particular focus on those on low incomes or experiencing energy debt, are positive for those in fuel poverty. Any market intervention should be assessed against a clear test: whether it reduces energy bills in practice and improves affordability, enabling fuel poor households to heat their homes to a safe and adequate standard.

“More funding for heating oil and LPG customers in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers an opportunity to reduce their reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets. Many LPG households experience deep vulnerability, often combining low incomes with high levels of disability or long‑term illness. To be effective and equitable, the scheme must proactively reach and support low‑income, fuel poor households, particularly those who are least likely to seek support independently. Failure to do so risks excluding those who stand to benefit most.

“Additional funding for the Social Housing Fund has the potential to progress the government’s fuel poverty targets. Around 13% of social renters live in fuel poverty, and increased investment can deliver warmer, healthier homes for some of the most financially vulnerable households

“Increased support for low‑income households to access plug‑in solar will benefit fuel poor households, as a significant proportion live in flats, where rooftop solar is harder to obtain. Plug‑in solar can enable these households to benefit from self‑generation and reduced reliance on the grid. This support should be accompanied by clear advice on optimal tariffs and integrated with energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, to maximise bill reductions and long‑term affordability.”

ENDS

[1] Survation were commissioned by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition to interview 2,047 people from 2-7 April 2026. Data were weighted to the profile of the UK. Data was weighted by respondent’s sex, age, region, household income, highest qualification, and past vote (GE24, EU16). Research tables are available here.

Heating oil and LPG customers to get additional support to install heat pumps

The Government has announced an increase to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant for properties heated by oil and LPG. The scheme forms part of the Government’s Warm Homes Plan and provides upfront capital grants to support the installation of heat pumps in homes and non-domestic buildings in England and Wales.

The existing grant currently stands at £7,500 for air source and ground source heat pumps and the increase to £9,000 specifically for oil and LPG properties represents a recognition that these households face higher costs and have greater exposure to global fossil fuel price shocks than those on the gas grid.

The scheme is available to owner-occupiers in England and Wales replacing an existing fossil fuel heating system. The grant is applied by an MCS-certified installer and deducted directly from the installation cost , meaning households do not need to fund the full amount upfront before claiming back.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“Heating Oil and LPG customers have been among the hardest hit by the current crisis. The three million households relying on these fuels sit outside the energy price cap and have no equivalent protection when global prices spike.

“These households are disproportionately in rural areas, have lower incomes, and live in older, harder-to-upgrade properties.

“A £9,000 grant for these homes will be very welcome, but it may not totally bridge the gap for those who cannot afford the remaining costs or whose homes need substantial preparatory work.

“Therefore, the expansion of this scheme must be accompanied by specialist local advice for households, stronger consumer protections during the works, and targeted additional support for those who cannot meet the shortfall.

“The measure of success is not how many grants are issued, but whether the households most exposed to fossil fuel price shocks are genuinely better off as a result.”

Public demands Government help to end exposure to energy price shocks

British households want to break free from the cycle of fossil fuel price shocks for good, with new polling showing that the ongoing conflict with Iran has prompted more than a third of adults to increase their interest in new technologies to cut their bills and reduce their exposure to volatile global markets.

Research by Survation for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition finds that 35% of the public have become more interested in home energy technology since the Iran conflict began. Of these people, 45% are now more interested in getting solar panels on their roofs, 36% would like more home insulation, 35% are more interested in the new plug in solar option and 26% are now more interested in getting a heat pump.

But with 60% saying such options are simply too expensive, the public is calling on the Government to act, with 71% wanting grants for insulation and 68% seeking support for solar panels and heat pumps.

With 83% of the public worried about energy bills and 44% saying they would be unable to afford the expected £228 annual increase in energy bills from 1 July, 73% want to see targeted support for households and 67% want to see help for all households with energy bills.

Heating Oil and LPG customers have already seen the cost of energy increase and as price rises loom for even more households from 1 July, a majority of the public (64%) believe that the energy industry is profiteering from the conflict in Iran and a majority say that ending the Windfall Tax now would be the wrong thing to do.

Simon Francis, End Fuel Poverty Coalition coordinator said:

“The public has had enough of history repeating itself. They want to protect themselves from oil and gas price shocks for good, and the Government has both the means and the mandate to help them do it.

“Energy firms made £125bn in profits on their UK operations over the last five years and companies like BP are already expecting bumper profits from the fresh crisis. The Windfall Tax revenue raised by the Treasury should be going further to help households cut their bills for good.

“The Government’s Warm Homes Plan is the right vehicle, but now is the moment to make it even more ambitious and to ensure it comes with a guarantee that every upgraded home will see energy efficiency improve and bills come down.”

Three-quarters of the public (76%) hold Donald Trump responsible for energy bill increases set to hit UK households, while 65% also blame the energy industry directly. The anger runs deep enough that 63% of respondents agree the increases amount to a Trump Tax on their bills.

Robert Palmer, Deputy Director of Uplift, added:

“People know they’re being hit with a Trump Tax, plain and simple. We’re facing higher energy bills, rocketing fuel prices and more expensive mortgages.

“Our dependence on fossil fuels is making all of us poorer. All except for the oil and gas bosses and their shareholders who – once again – are set to cash in at our expense.

“Now Trump is demanding that the UK doubles down on drilling. But we can’t drill our way out of this crisis. More drilling won’t take a penny off our bills, and would have no meaningful impact on the UK’s supply of gas. We’ve burned most of what was in the North Sea already.

“The only way to insulate ourselves from these risks is to press on with renewables, like wind, and upgrade our homes with solar power and heat pumps, so we can free ourselves from oil and gas and ensure we have a liveable planet. And this polling shows the public gets this, even if Donald Trump doesn’t.

“The Government needs to help people who want to upgrade their homes and have more control of their energy bills, as well as billpayers who are going to struggle.

“This is a Trump Tax, plain and simple. It’s likely to be a painful economic hit to the UK with higher energy bills, rocketing food prices and more expensive mortgages.”

ENDS

Survation were commissioned by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition to interview 2,047 people from 2-7 April 2026. Data were weighted to the profile of the UK. Data was weighted by respondent’s sex, age, region, household income, highest qualification, and past vote (GE24, EU16).

Research tables can be downloaded here.

New homes set for solar and clean heat as Ministers accelerate energy shift

The Government has confirmed the long-awaited Future Homes Standard alongside plans to bring plug-in solar to market, in a package aimed at reducing households’ exposure to volatile oil and gas prices.

From 2028, most new homes will include clean heating, high levels of energy efficiency and rooftop solar, marking a significant step forward after years of delay. Garry Felgate, chief executive of the MCS Foundation, said the move was “very good news” for energy security and “countless” households, with research suggesting savings of more than £1,000 for a typical family.

Ed Matthew of E3G called it “a critical step in helping the British people to take back control of their energy from fossil fuel dictators,” but warned the Government should have acted faster.

The standard will not be fully in force until March 2028 following a two-year transition, meaning more homes will still be built with gas boilers in the meantime, while exemptions mean some will not include solar.

The policy also falls short of full zero carbon standards, and there are risks developers could dilute ambition over time. Jess Ralston at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit warned ministers may need to keep standing up to housebuilders seeking to meet the rules as cheaply as possible, potentially storing up higher costs for homeowners later.

Alongside the Future Homes announcement, Ministers confirmed plans to roll out plug-in solar that could offer modest savings for some households, but may face practical barriers around cost, space and planning permissions.

More broadly, additional funding for retrofit and the launch of a new Warm Homes Fund point to growing momentum behind efforts to upgrade existing homes, particularly through local and area-based programmes.

At the same time, proposals to offer cheaper electricity in windy areas could help some households benefit from abundant renewable power, although they also underline the need for longer-term investment in the grid and reform of electricity pricing to ensure clean heating delivers consistent savings.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“These are all clearly steps in the right direction. More accessible solar energy and building cheap to run homes with clean heating as standard should have happened years ago.

“For the households who benefit, it will mean warmer homes and permanently lower bills, while reducing our exposure to volatile oil and gas markets.

“But we cannot solve a national crisis by focusing only on homes that haven’t been built yet and new technology. Millions of people are still stuck in cold, damp homes today, facing rising bills as global fossil fuel prices surge again.

“Ministers now need to match this ambition with a nationwide programme to upgrade existing homes, starting with those in fuel poverty, alongside targeted financial support and reform of electricity pricing so people actually see the benefits in their bills.”

Scrapping home upgrade funding could leave households at greater risk

The leadership of Reform staged a petrol station stunt promising cheaper fuel and energy bills by attacking what they call “green levies” which are used to long-term heating and energy efficiency programmes.

As global gas prices surge following the conflict with Iran, the stunt highlights how Britain’s continued dependence on oil and gas leaves households exposed to global price shocks.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, which campaigns to lower home energy costs, said:

“Scrapping support for heat pumps and energy efficiency programmes would lock the country into a continued cycle of high energy prices and fuel poverty.

“The reason households are facing rising costs today is because the country remains heavily dependent on oil and gas whose prices are set on volatile global markets.

“As the conflict in the Middle East shows, when tensions rise anywhere in the world the price of gas quickly follows. That is what pushes up energy bills, not investment in cleaner heating.

“The real way to cut bills for working people is to reduce the amount of gas we burn through better insulated homes, expand homegrown renewable power and reform energy pricing so households are no longer exposed to constant gas price shocks.

Robert Palmer, deputy director of campaign group Uplift, added:

“It’s clear that the only route to lower bills and secure energy is to free ourselves from oil and gas through homegrown renewable energy and upgrading homes, whether that’s with solar panels or heat pumps. This is just common sense in today’s world

“New North Sea drilling will make no difference to UK energy bills and have no meaningful impact on the UK’s supply of gas.”

More affordable homes and overhaul of social housing standards announced

New plans have been announced an additional 300,000 more social and affordable homes alongside an overhaul of standards in the sector.

The Government will invest £39bn in the Social and Affordable Homes Programme and it has confirmed moves to raise standards across existing social housing stock through a new Decent Homes Standard.

These reforms promise tougher action on damp and mould, stronger enforcement of repairs, and warmer, more energy-efficient homes. From 2030, social landlords will also be required to meet higher energy efficiency standards, reducing energy bills for tenants.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“These measures are a welcome step towards better homes and lower bills, especially if the new standards finally get a grip on damp, mould and poor insulation in social housing.

“People have suffered for far too long in substandard housing and with high energy bills. Those households suffering in fuel poverty need new social housing or home upgrades to reach them as a priority and as soon as possible.

“When it comes to upgrades funded through the landmark Warm Homes Plan, this work must link up with a Warm Homes Guarantee, so every household gets trusted advice during the process, strong consumer protections and a clear promise that energy bills will fall after work is done.”

Fuel poverty fight enters a new phase as hard work on Warm Homes Plan begins

The Government’s new £15bn Warm Homes Plan has been welcomed as a potential breakthrough in tackling cold, damp housing, cutting energy bills and slashing carbon emissions.

But campaigners have warned that the Plan [pdf] must avoid the failures of previous schemes, remain focused on helping those most in need, and be backed by strong consumer protections and reform of the wider energy system.

The Plan is built around three main pillars:

Targeted support for low-income households: with £5bn in grants to fund insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and batteries.
Universal loan offers: low- and zero-interest finance for any homeowner to access rooftop solar, heat pumps or battery storage.
New protections for renters: including upgraded energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector.

The Plan is necessary to help address the long-term health impacts of living in cold damp homes and the 12.1m households who struggle with energy bills.

Andrew McCracken, Director of External Affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, explains: “Living in a cold, damp or mouldy home puts people at increased risk of developing serious lung conditions and can cause life-threatening asthma attacks and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“Poor housing is a key determinant of lung health, so with survey data showing that more than one in five people with lung conditions are living in cold or damp housing, it’s little wonder the UK has the highest rate of deaths from lung disease in Europe.”

Simon Francis, Coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, added: “The lifeblood of the Plan amounts to a rescue mission for the coldest, dampest homes in Britain – and this must be the priority. Combined with long-overdue improvements to conditions in the private rented sector, it could save lives, cut NHS costs and permanently slash energy bills for those in fuel poverty.”

So while campaigners have praised the cross-government approach to tackling fuel poverty and the Warm Homes Plan’s ambition, many have warned it must be properly implemented and locally led.

Graham Duxbury, Groundwork UK’s Chief Executive, said: “There’s much to commend in the Warm Homes Plan. We particularly welcome the worst-first approach, the area-based model and the emphasis on local job creation. This is the right long-term strategy but we know it won’t solve the problems of acute fuel poverty and energy debt overnight. We also know that, without additional support, those living in more vulnerable or challenging circumstances may not benefit.”

Kate Meakin, director of Energise Sussex Coast, warned: “Insulating homes is a permanent solution to end fuel poverty… However, if this Plan is to avoid past failures, there must be a mandatory requirement for real-world performance to be monitored after installations are complete – as well as a Warm Homes Guarantee that ensures that every household that receives support actually sees their bills come down.”

The Warm Homes Guarantee, proposed by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, is built around quality advice on the right installations to deliver, enhanced consumer protections and a promise that every upgraded home will see bills come down. As Graham Duxbury explains, we “would like to see up-front community engagement to ensure widespread take-up and post-installation support to ensure householders gain the full benefit of any measures installed.”

Jonathan Bean from Fuel Poverty Action also highlighted the “catastrophic failures” in the defective ECO4 and GBIS schemes, urging the Government to support households affected while also boosting skills training.

Joanna Elson, Chief Executive of Independent Age also warned that while the development of the Warm Homes Agency has the potential to significantly improve access information and advice about upgrading homes to bring down energy bills, this should not be overly reliant on digital tools: “It is essential that there are national and local services that are accessible to them, including for the digitally excluded.”

Others welcomed minimum energy efficiency standards for private rentals, but raised red flags over key exemptions. Niamh Evans of the Renters Reform Coalition said:

“The Government’s choice to lower the cap on landlord spending from £15k to £10k means many tenants stuck in some of the worst insulated homes will be left in the cold and their landlords won’t be required to bring up to EPC C. We’re also concerned that the government has still not set out plans to protect renters from rent increases or evictions following upgrades linked to the scheme.”

Members of the Coalition suggest that spend caps for landlords make little sense and should at least take account of inflationary pressure and cost disparity in different locations.

Joanna Elson added: “Older people with a lower income are more likely to live in rented homes of a lower value and at lower standards. These decisions may leave some of those most at risk continuing to pay more to keep their home warm or force them to go without warmth entirely. We are urging the UK Government to ensure that homes that need the most improvement benefit fully from the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard.”

Meanwhile, experts also highlighted the need for wider reforms to work alongside the Plan and the newly published fuel poverty strategy.

Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: “A Warm Homes Plan is desperately needed, with world events once again highlighting the UK’s vulnerability from our over-reliance on gas for heating. We can no longer bank on the North Sea because, after 50 years of drilling, the UK has now burned most of its gas.

“Ending this dependency, by ensuring our homes are more energy efficient – particularly for those on lowest incomes – and powered by renewable energy, is both pragmatic and the right thing to do for ensuring we have affordable energy.

Chris Galpin, Senior Policy Advisor at E3G, said: “Stronger building efficiency standards will be life-changing for many renters – slashing their bills by hundreds of pounds a year, as well as keeping their homes drier and healthier. But more still needs to be done to protect households with electric heating, who are twice as likely to face fuel poverty as other households.”

Frazer Scott from Energy Action Scotland added that while the Plan needs to be clearer about what funding is UK and what is devolved, the announcement was also “another lost opportunity to at least signal consideration of a social tariff for energy users.”

Therefore, while the Plan and the fuel poverty strategy bring together many long-standing policy asks, the End Fuel Poverty Coalition is now developing the next steps required to ensure it fulfils its potential, this includes:

Full transparency on funding: distinguishing new investment from previously announced budgets and clarity on devolved settlement.
Action on electricity pricing, to make electric heating cost-competitive and fair.
Robust standards, consumer protections and oversight through a Warm Homes Guarantee to avoid a repeat of past failings.
Increase the landlord spending cap to £15k, safeguards to stop landlords fiddling with Energy Performance Certificates, a prevention of rent increases or evictions due to improvements and a robust defence of the proposed policy in light of likely lobbying from landlords’ groups.
More interim financial support, such as Cold Weather Payments reform, Warm Home Discount extension and energy debt relief (over an above the latest proposals from Ofgem) while upgrades are rolled out and a long term social tariff is developed.

ENDS

Warm Homes Plan launched to upgrade homes and cut energy bills

The Government’s £15bn Warm Homes Plan promises to tackle fuel poverty, cut bills and reduce emissions through three main pillars:

Targeted support for low-income households,
A universal loan offer for solar panels, batteries and heat pumps, and
New protections for renters living in cold, damp, or mouldy homes.

Campaigners have welcomed the Plan with its potential to improve conditions in the coldest homes, through insulation, heat pumps and solar panels. Although its success in reducing fuel poverty will be judged on real delivery, strong consumer protections and a focus on the people most in need.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition commented:

“The lifeblood of the Plan amounts to a rescue mission for the coldest, dampest homes in Britain – and this must be the priority.

“Combined with long-overdue improvements to conditions in the private rented sector, it could save lives, cut NHS costs and permanently slash energy bills for those in fuel poverty.

“Achieving this, while also inspiring a rooftop and heat pump revolution through loans and subsidies, will require a national effort. There will also need to be reforms which go beyond this Plan, such as bringing down the cost of electricity and providing financial support with energy costs while households wait for improvements to be installed.

“Above all, any use of public funds must come with a Warm Homes Guarantee, built around quality advice on the right installations to deliver, enhanced consumer protections and a promise that every upgraded home will see bills come down.

”If delivery matches ambition then this could be the biggest breakthrough in tackling cold damp homes in a generation, but now the hard work begins.”

Adam Scorer, Chief Executive at National Energy Action, added:

“People struggling in fuel poverty desperately need the Warm Homes Plan. Cheaper energy costs, efficient heating systems and homes that keep the warmth in, are all essential for the plan to succeed. There is a lot of work to be done, but today’s publication and commitment to lift a million households out of fuel poverty is a welcome, landmark occasion.”

Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said

“A Warm Homes Plan is desperately needed, with world events once again highlighting the UK’s vulnerability from our over-reliance on gas for heating.

“We can no longer bank on the North Sea because, after 50 years of drilling, the UK has now burned most of its gas. Regardless of any new drilling, the UK will be dependent on gas imports for nearly two thirds of its gas in just five years time and almost 100 per cent by 2050, unless we shift away from gas.

“An ambitious warm homes plan, properly implemented, will reduce our exposure to price shocks and mean we are not at the mercy of bad actors like Putin or the whims of Trump.”

Nick Davies, Head of Climate Policy at Green Alliance, said:

“Everyone has a chance to lower their energy bills with clean technologies under the government’s new Warm Homes Plan. That’s critical because rollercoaster global gas prices have fuelled a cost of living crisis which means energy bills remain far too high.

“Supporting more households to afford the upfront costs of installing solar panels or switching to ultra-efficient electric heat pumps will help to cut bills, reduce our reliance on imported gas and keep the climate safe for our children.”

Cold crisis as one in three struggle to heat their homes

Figures show that 29% of adults are unable to keep their home at the recommended minimum temperature of 18°C, the level advised by World Health Organisation experts to reduce the risk of illness.

Reports in the Express reveal that among those affected are around 3.2m (23%) older people (aged 65+) who say they struggle to keep their home warm enough.

As energy bills remain 69% higher than in winter 2020, the End Fuel Poverty Coalition polling from Opinium shows that the problem is particularly acute among households on incomes below £40,000 and people living with long-term health conditions, including lung conditions and physical disabilities.

A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:

“It’s shocking that after years of warnings, so many people are still stuck in homes that put their health at risk. No one should be facing winter worried about whether their home is warm enough.

“We urgently need to see further action to bring down the cost of energy in the new year, especially on electricity which is homegrown and should be much cheaper than it currently is.

“One sign of hope is that we know that households are taking action to look at how they can make their homes more energy efficient, but they need help to do this. Every week of delay to the Government’s much promised Warm Homes Plan means households are stuck in cold, damp homes for longer.”

Charlotte Higgins is retired and lives in Solihull in the West Midlands and had energy-saving measures fitted by the Solihull Household Support Fund. She said: “The loft insulation has been done, and I’ve had solar panels on the front and the back. It’s made a difference to my heating, and my bills are a lot cheaper.”

Jan Shortt, General Secretary of the National Pensioners Convention said: “With energy bills hundreds of pounds a year higher than they were in 2020, there is a real danger of older people falling ill through living in cold, damp homes.

“Whilst some older people receive the winter fuel payment, others do not. Some receive the warm homes discount on their bill, others do not. Even with this small income, it is hard to keep a house warm in really cold, wintry weather.

“The cost of energy has another cost – that of overflowing A&E departments, wards and GP surgeries. Not being able to heat your home does not just mean you are susceptible to colds and flu but also to respiratory conditions, heart disease, arthritis and other health conditions that demand individuals keep warm.

“We need to ensure that everything is being done to insulate homes, find alternative and sustainable sources of energy.”

Cold homes figures revealed as Warm Homes Plan is delayed further

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.”