Aldersgate Group reaction: publication of government’s Warm Homes Plan

Reacting to the publication of the government’s Warm Homes Plan, Executive Director at Aldersgate Group, Rachel Solomon Williams, said: “The Warm Homes Plan builds on last week’s positive news on renewable energy investment and development, offering much‑needed clarity on how households will experience the benefits of the energy transition. With UK energy insecurity driven by reliance on volatile international gas markets, the Plan’s financial support for greater uptake of insulation, solar, batteries and heat pumps is a welcome step toward more affordable, comfortable homes.

“The Plan signals a clear intention to accelerate home retrofits. But with the government also aiming to deliver 1.5 million new homes this parliament, a robust Future Homes Standard must follow swiftly to ensure new builds meet high efficiency standards and seize the opportunities of clean heat and rooftop solar.

“The Government needs to mitigate the risk of competing ambitions, from delivering new homes and major infrastructure projects to upgrading the energy efficiency of homes. Doing so will require a workforce capable of delivering at scale. We welcome the commitment to launch a taskforce to look at this; our research shows that additional support is needed to upskill the existing heat pump workforce and increase the number of new workers if the UK is to meet its clean energy and economic growth objectives.”

ENDS

See the Government’s Warm Homes Plan here.