Industry welcomed today the proposed amendment to Labour’s energy motion by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas. Ms Lucas has called for a proportion of the national infrastructure budget to be used to make all homes energy efficient.

Dave Sowden, Chief Executive of the Sustainable Energy Association, said:

“A major retrofit of Britain’s buildings with energy measures scores better than many projects in the current Infrastructure plan. There is a huge economic opportunity available to the country by embarking now on a major programme of improvement of our building stock. The effect would be to lower bills permanently, reducing wasted energy, produce more of what we use directly from buildings themselves, reducing dependency on imported fuels and reduce CO2 emissions.”

“As we head towards the election, it is critical that a new political consensus emerges for the demand side of energy policy. Having a stable policy framework and commitment to a comprehensive Energy in Buildings Strategy is critical to developing a clean, affordable and secure energy future for the businesses and people of Britain. Caroline Lucas’ proposed amendment is an important contribution to securing that consensus.”