Ageing Better reacts to government’s Warm Homes Plan announcement

The government has announced details for their Warm Homes Plan, with a promise of £15 billion to improve the energy efficiency and quality of homes across the UK.

The Warm Homes Plan aims to benefit millions of families through various energy efficiency measures, including the installation of solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, and insulation with homeowners able to apply for government-backed, low and zero interest loans to cover the costs of installation.

The scheme could potentially see upgrades to entire streets at the same time for social housing residents while support will also be made available to private landlords to ensure homes are safe, warm and affordable.  

The government predicts the proposals will lift up to one million families out of fuel poverty and the scheme will have a particular focus on low-income households.

The proposals include the creation of a new Warm Homes Agency which is designed to bring together existing functions from across the regulator and other government arms-lengths bodies to provide new consumer support.  

Local mayors are being lined up to play a leading role in ensuring the rolling out of home upgrades in their area.

Ageing Better has long called for greater support for home improvement and upgrades given the poor quality of much of the country’s housing stock and the impact poor housing has on residents’ health and wellbeing.  

Our recent Safe Homes Now Spotlight, supported by Health Equals, found that two in three people are concerned about being able to afford their energy bills.

The research also found that one in four people from low-income households (25%) cannot comfortably heat their living rooms in cold weather and more than one in five people (21%) from low-income households live in homes with condensation, damp or mould.  

Millie Brown, Deputy Director for Homes at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: 

“There is a lot riding on getting this right. The Warm Homes Plan needs to undo decades of underinvestment in our nation’s housing stock which has left us with some of the leakiest and draughtiest homes in Europe. Cold homes that lead to serious illness and untimely deaths. Older people are more likely to live in an energy inefficient home and make up the large majority of the 4,000 people in the UK who die from cold homes every year. They can wait no longer for the right support to come.  

“The Warm Homes Plan also needs to regain the lost trust from the poorly executed home energy efficiency schemes of the past which have failed to deliver and help those who needed help the most. 

“For the Warm Homes Plan to succeed, it will need to take a local-focussed approach and inspire the confidence of residents. To achieve this, the government should deliver the Warm Homes Plan by setting up a national network of Good Home Hubs. These one-stop shops for home improvement, delivered in partnership between local authorities, charities and businesses to people from all housing tenures, would offer a range of services including independent information and advice, financial support for those who need it, and signposting to trusted tradespeople.”