THE Government is being urged to make good its promises on energy efficiency,

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne is calling on the government to deliver its manifesto commitment to upgrade the energy efficiency of homes and public buildings to support jobs, cut bills and reduce emissions.

Research from the Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group shows that there are currently 5,600 households in South Shropshire which suffer from fuel poverty and 32,200 homes with a rating lower than C.

Mr Dunne says through a mixture of government incentives, low-cost loans, and tax breaks, homes can be upgraded to leak less heat in a way that is affordable for the bill payer.

The Conservative Party manifesto committed to invest £9.2bn improving energy efficiency within homes, schools and hospitals, with £2.5bn over five years providing Home Upgrade Grants for fuel poor homes.

“I have joined colleagues from the Conservative Environment Network to call for a green recovery from COVID19,” said Mr Dunne.

“One measure that would cut emissions, deliver jobs, and ultimately save bill payers money would be to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes and buildings.

“South Shropshire has many older homes, where improving energy efficiency could make a significant difference, potentially saving each household on average £270 per year on their energy bills.

“The Government has made welcome commitments, but now is a golden opportunity to deliver on them, creating much needed jobs across all areas of the country - since this is a nationwide issue – reducing the risk of fuel poverty, and helping deliver our legal obligation to reach net zero emissions by 2050.”