Labour Party vows to insulate 88,000 Doncaster homes to save on bills if elected

Research from the party estimates that its Warm Homes Plan would insulate around 88,000 homes and could save households up to £1,000 a year on their energy bills.

This would equate to savings of £88 million in the area overall.

It comes during the cost-of-living crisis which has seen household energy bills rise exponentially.

Labour first introduced the scheme in its 2019 manifesto and it has been adopted by new leader Keir Starmer.

The party estimates that if its scheme had been adopted when first introduced, two million homes could have been upgraded by this winter.

The Conservative government has introduced several measures to combat the effects of rising bills, such as the Energy Price Guarantee which previously capped bills at £2,500.

It also introduced the Energy Bills Support Scheme which has given households six automatic energy discounts between October 2022 and March 2023.

From April, the energy cap will rise by £500 to a total £3000 and bills discounts will not be available to all households.

The Labour Party’s research also shows that the UK has the fewest energy efficient homes in Europe.

Ed Miliband MP, Labour’s Shadow Climate Change and Net Zero Secretary, and MP for Doncaster North, said: “Britain is facing a national cost of living emergency. 12 years of failure by the Conservatives to insulate our homes is one of the reasons bills are so high. Too many working people and pensioners live in draughty, cold homes with high heating costs.

“If the Conservatives were serious about cutting energy bills, it could start right now, by delivering the Warm Homes Plan that Labour has called for. But recent announcements on offered no new resources, which is far little too late for the millions of people facing a cost of living emergency this winter.

“A proper national mission, as Labour has called for, would save 19 million families over £1,000 on their bills, as well as creating good construction jobs, and boosting our energy security.

To find out if you’re eligible for support with your energy bills, visit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-help-paying-your-bills/grants-and-benefits-to-help-you-pay-your-energy-bills/