Every UK home could be made energy-efficient within 10 years

Every UK home could be made energy-efficient within 10 years in a revamp of British housing stock equivalent to the "digital switchover".

It is estimated that carbon emissions from British homes account for a quarter of the country's total. Under EU agreements, the government has 42 years to cut emissions by 80%.

Currently just one per cent of our housing stock is energy-efficient, yet only half of Britain's poorest households are ineligible for help from the £852m “Warm Front” scheme set up by the government to try to cut fuel bills with grants for home insulation and heating.

The government should underwrite renovation work worth £6,500 per household. Householders should be able to apply for commercial loans to revamp their homes, with the cost being repaid through energy bills that should fall because of improved energy efficiency of the renovated house.