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Government to consider impact of UK energy efficiency plan on poor households

(The Guardian, 3 May 2022) Officials admit they did not conduct equality assessment before launch of heat and buildings strategy.

The UK government is to formally consider the impact of its flagship energy efficiency plan on people most at risk from soaring bills, citing the conflict in Ukraine as a factor.

The move comes after officials admitted they did not carry out an equality assessment of the heat and buildings strategy before it was announced last autumn. It sets out to slash carbon emissions from 30m homes and workplaces and is a key part of the UK’s net zero target.

Last month it was criticised by the independent statutory Climate Change Committee, which said more investment was needed in energy efficiency and low-carbon heat improvements for fuel-poor homes, “especially given that the number of households in fuel poverty is rising dramatically as the wholesale price of gas rises to unprecedented levels”.

Friends of the Earth uncovered the absence of a public sector equality duty assessment during a high court claim alleging the strategy breached equalities law. The environmental campaign group believes key policies to help the most vulnerable people to reduce emissions are missing from the strategy launched by the business and energy secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, before the UN Cop26 climate summit in November.

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The Guardian, 3 May 2022: Government to consider impact of UK energy efficiency plan on poor households