Taking the heat out of soaring energy prices
Amid all the discussion about how to mitigate the cost of energy price rises for households (Report, 3 February), there has been no mention of how to cut energy use in the first place. Rather than offset the cost by discounts, the money would be better used to reduce long-term energy consumption by making buildings as energy-efficient as possible and thereby helping to meet climate change commitments, too. It’s not rocket science.
We can go a long way to improve the situation by ensuring lofts are insulated, windows are double-glazed and fit correctly, letterbox holes are plugged and external mailboxes fitted instead, draught excluders are fitted around wooden front doors, curtains have thermal linings etc.
There are millions of Victorian terrace houses that have chilly external walls; simple internal battening and insulation can make a huge difference for a loss in internal space of only about 8cm. We need local councils to take the lead in instigating these works in partnership with voluntary organisations and householders and show what can be done. Just making thermal cameras available to borrow would be a good start.
Also, building regulations need to be radically updated. We are still building homes with pathetic insulation despite many of them being labelled “sustainable” – what a joke. Diana WilkinsBristol
Why have we not learned that privatising essential services is the wrong way to go? Energy companies, which have been happily pocketing their profits for decades, are now faced with a situation that they apparently could not anticipate and did not plan for, and suddenly they want to pass on the costs and consequences of their lack of foresight and basic business acumen to us longsuffering consumers.
As essential
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