Council leaders are calling for a new approach to energy efficiency as the latest figures show a big drop in the number of homes being insulated.
They say the Government’s energy efficiency scheme supported just 60,000 homes last year, down from almost half a million in 2013.
The Local Government Association (LGA) warns that the new Great British Insulation Scheme, to be administered by Ofgem, will face the same fate without major change.
It wants the scheme to be speeded up and devolved to councils which can target the homes most in need and work with local businesses.
LGA environment spokesperson Linda Taylor said: ‘Retrofitting more homes is a practical, sustainable and economically responsible solution to raise housing standards and cut bills.
‘National climate action is essential. But the complexity of supporting retrofitting in our 51 cities, 935 towns and 6,000 villages cannot be managed from a Whitehall desk, and the national schemes are struggling.
‘It is now time to shift to a locally led approach, which would mean councils can target the homes that need the support most, while working with local businesses to build skills and growth.’
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