Speaking last night at a UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) event at the Labour party conference, Caroline Flint said she had “taken quite some time” to come up with an energy efficiency programme that will help tackle the poor state of the UK’s housing stock.
The full policy, which Flint will announce in her keynote speech on Tuesday, would insulate at least five million homes over a 10-year period, as well as reducing the interest rates on Green Deal loans and offering one million interest-free energy efficiency loans.
This investment will reduce the energy demand of households, which would cut back the need for generating capacity and also help to limit the UK’s carbon emissions.
Flint hinted that a street by street rollout of energy efficiency measures could be introduced, should her party win the general election in May.
She said: “There’s nothing worse for me than, to be honest, walking along the streets in my constituency of Don Valley, and look along and see that most houses have been done, and then one is missing.
“hat we have to do is address that delivery mechanism.
“I think at a local level – not just the local authority but other community organisations as well – are best placed to deal with that.”
John Alker, director of policy and communications at UK-GBC, said: “Labour is spot on in recognising that energy efficiency needs to be classed as a long-term national infrastructure priority.
“The UK is currently in the midst of an energy bill crisis and improving our draughty and leaky homes is the only way to permanently tackle this.”
Flint’s keynote energy speech is scheduled for Tuesday morning, while Labour leader Ed Milliband will present his keynote address in the early afternoon.