A report published by UNISON says that government help to drive energy efficiency is inadequate, putting greener homes beyond the reach of all but the wealthy.
Unless substantial progress is made on making sure sustainable homes and vehicles are within reach of those on lower and middle incomes, the UK won’t meet its 2050 net-zero target, the union says.
The research, being launched at the union’s annual energy conference, says short-term policies and a complex array of ever-changing support packages have left millions of households with insufficient help to meet soaring energy bills.
In a UNISON survey of public sector workers who own their own homes, conducted for the report, more than seven in ten (74%) said they were keen to switch to cleaner energy, but felt they were not being offered enough government support to do so.
For many, the significant costs of switching to greener alternatives to heat homes are unaffordable. More than three quarters (77%) said that even with up to £5,000 available from government grants to upgrade to a modern air-source heat pump, they would be unable to afford the extra £3-5,000 they’d need to finance themselves.
More than half (53%) of the 1,500 who completed the survey said if their current boiler were to break down, they would not be able to replace it if it was beyond repair.
The overwhelming majority (87%) still use gas to heat their homes, and four in ten (41%) said their properties were difficult to heat and often felt cold and draughty.
Just 4% thought government schemes aimed at encouraging the switch to clean energy systems were affordable and aimed at them.
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
The UK is in the last-chance saloon. Ministers must get to grips with this problem now, not in years to come when it’s too late.
Those households who can least afford to switch to cleaner energy are the ones needing help the most with their bills. What’s needed is a fair system that works for everyone, not just those with the most money.
Without a drastic change in tack from government, a greener future is just a distant dream.
Read the Gridlock report for more information.
