In the autumn statement late last year, UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt argued that the only way to stop the UK being ‘at the mercy of international gas prices’ is energy independence combined with energy efficiency.

However, while the announcements of an energy demand reduction target, additional investment after 2025, and an energy efficiency taskforce were welcome, the action proposed by the government did not match the rhetoric and does not come soon enough.

Households are struggling with a cost of living crisis and retrofitting and good ventilation is crucial to cutting high energy bills, addressing rising fuel poverty, and getting rid of damp and mould in the UK’s cold, draughty homes.

This paper highlights the gap in investment that the government needs to fill, and the steps that its proposed taskforce needs to take, if energy efficiency is to play its part in reducing energy demand and lowering energy bills, improving energy security, and reducing emissions to meet the UK's net zero targets.