47% of homes assessed in Peterborough in the past five years failed to meet the basic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of a C, new data analysis of government data has found. Poorly insulated homes often face higher bills: £1 of every £4 spent by UK households on energy is wasted due to poor insulation.

Labour is calling on the government to speed up their commitment to retrofitting homes – this is the process of upgrading homes to make them more energy efficient, such as installing loft insulation or double-glazed windows.

In last month’s Autumn budget, the UK Government announced £6 billion in new funding to retrofit homes and make them more energy efficient, but that extra funding won’t become available until 2025, likely after the next election.

Peterborough Labour’s Parliamentary candidate Andrew Pakes is calling on the government to bring forward this extra funding from 2025 to now in order to help tackle rising energy bills and to improve energy efficiency.

Nationally, 19 million homes in the UK fail to meet the basic energy efficiency standards meaning higher bills and greater health risks from living with damp and cold.

Andrew Pakes, Labour & Co-operative Parliamentary Candidate for Peterborough said:  

“Britain’s homes are notoriously draughty, damp and cold – and with energy prices rising, that can make them incredibly expensive to heat. It’s unbelievable that nearly half of households in Peterborough are facing higher bills because their homes fail to meet basic energy efficiency standards.  

“Everyone in Peterborough has the right to a safe, warm home. That’s why I’ve joined the #CantWaitToInsulate campaign and co-signed a letter calling on the Government to provide more money now to retrofit homes in Peterborough.”