Thank you to all those who contacted me about fuel poverty and home insulation.

The national emergency of rising energy bills has again highlighted the urgent importance of insulating as many homes as possible. The UK spends more money on energy wasted through the walls and roofs of our houses than any other country in western Europe. Upgrading the energy efficiency of homes would reduce energy demand, cutting bills for families and building the UK’s energy security.

Unfortunately, I am concerned that we have seen a decade of failure to introduce a proper national energy efficiency plan. Indeed, after cuts to energy efficiency programmes in 2013, insulation rates fell by 92%.

I therefore support calls for a national Warm Homes Plan to upgrade five million energy inefficient homes over the next parliament. Installing energy saving measures such as loft insulation and going street by street in locally delivered programmes will deliver an additional £6.6 billion investment to double the Government’s already committed £6.6 Billion. It would involve giving devolved Governments and local authorities the power and the resources necessary to deliver retrofitting programmes to bring homes in their area up to standard, with particular urgency for facing fuel poverty.

This will create thousands of jobs in every part of the country, cut household bills by up to £1,000 every year for families, reduce gas imports, provide opportunities for British businesses of all sizes, and create hundreds of thousands of good jobs for builders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and architects.