Tackling the UK’s energy efficiency problem

The UK’s homes and buildings are among the draughtiest in Europe, with successive governments struggling to design policies that boost energy efficiency. This failure has been brought into sharp focus as our reliance on fossil fuels has been exposed and energy bills hit record highs. So what does the government need to do to fix this problem? What gaps were there in last year’s Heat and Buildings Strategy and how should they be addressed? And what are the key barriers to accelerating the pace of housing upgrades and supporting a supply chain across the country to deliver these changes? To discuss these questions and more, our expert panel included: Gillian Charlesworth, Group CEO of BRE Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee Kerry McCarthy MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Change Andrew Sissons, Deputy Director of Sustainable Future Mission at Nesta The event was chaired by Tom Sasse, Associate Director at the Institute for Government.