LONDON, 28 February 2024 — As new figures show the government’s flagship insulation scheme is lagging more than 60 years behind schedule, UK100 has published two powerful case studies to support its call for Ministers to empower local authorities to massively scale up local-led energy efficiency upgrades.

The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) has only upgraded 2,900 homes in eight months, against a target of 300,000 in three years.

In contrast, UK100 has published new innovative home energy efficiency case studies from Leeds and Manchester as it calls on Ministers to give local leaders the tools they need to “unlock local delivery which is faster, more efficient and more cost-effective”.

The case studies from Leeds and Greater Manchester, published during New Homes Week, demonstrate local-led approaches to upgrading Britain's ageing housing stock while tackling fuel poverty, creating local jobs, and “restoring a sense of community pride” – but they don't shy away from exploring the challenges and barriers local leaders are facing in going further and faster for their communities.

UK100 Chief Executive Christopher Hammond says:

“Everyone in the UK deserves a warm, safe home that they can afford to heat. But with some of the oldest and leakiest homes in Europe, this is far from the day-to-day reality for millions in the UK. While schemes like GBIS flounder, the work being done in places like Leeds and Greater Manchester shows that, equipped with the right tools and support, local authorities are delivering for their communities. To unlock their full potential, however, the next Government must empower local authorities to lead.

That means long-term, needs-based funding for retrofit and energy efficiency upgrades, support for skills training, and support for local authorities to develop local area energy plans.”

Hammond continues:

“As progress on GBIS and other piecemeal national schemes show, there is no short-term fix for upgrading Britain's homes it requires a long-term plan that will allow local authorities to kickstart a retrofit market that targets the most vulnerable households first while giving businesses the confidence to invest in the supply chains and skills training necessary to deliver the UK's housing decarbonisation targets."

In the new Leeds case study published to the UK100 Knowledge Hub, George Munson, Energy and Climate Change Manager at Leeds City Council, explores the Priority Neighbourhood Approach, funded in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, to deliver whole street retrofits in Holbeck, aimed at tackling fuel poverty in some of the city’s most vulnerable communities.

In the video, Munson says:

"The Priority Neighbourhood Approach in Leeds has been hugely transformative to the community. The streets look and feel new, and there's a sense of pride and additional community cohesion in those areas now. We've had hugely positive feedback from people who live in the area and telling us that they now no longer need to put a heating on, but their homes still feel warm enough."
 

In Manchester, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has convened businesses, skills providers and finance to kickstart a regional retrofit market.

In his video, Todd Holden, Energy Policy and Programme Lead, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, says:

"It would be wrong to think retrofit is simply an environmental agenda. It's actually much broader than that. [There are] massive opportunities around jobs, around growing the local economy … creating really sustainable places. The challenge around retrofit is probably best separated into three core areas - finance, skills and delivery."

Hammond concludes:

“The scale of retrofit we need is in the millions, not thousands. With the right national framework, long-term support and policy back-up, local leaders have immense untapped potential to deliver warm and affordable to run homes. They are best placed to deliver at pace and scale. Top down isn't working, it’s time to unlock local ambition.”