Two thirds of homes in England and Wales face significantly higher energy bills because they are poorly insulated, new research has shown.
Properties with an Energy Performance Certificate of D or below face an average bill increase of £1,730 a year when the energy price cap rise comes into effect in October, according to analysis by Kingfisher, the owner of B&Q, and the Centre for Economic and Business Research, an economics consultancy.
This compares to an increase of £982 a year for the homes that meet the Government’s target energy efficiency rating of C or above – a stark £748 gap.
Kingfisher said this would hit households in Wales, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the West Midlands the hardest when energy regulator Ofgem raises the price cap.
Most of Britain’s energy-efficient housing is confined to London, the research found, posing a challenge for the Government’s levelling-up agenda.