The chair of the all-party Environmental Audit Committee of MPs is urging the government to introduce an alternative to the disastrous Green Homes Grant.

Thousands of landlords and home owners were frustrated at being unable to access funding for improving the energy efficiency of their properties because of the Green Homes Grant scheme’s inefficient operation and early termination. 

Now Environmental Audit Committee chair Philip Dunne MP says: “We have been clear all along: the Green Homes Grant was a good initiative but was poorly implemented.

“This government has shown its willingness to be an environmental world leader, but I fear its green credentials risk being undermined by poor policy decisions. 

“Actions speak louder than words, and simply abandoning a critically important decarbonisation scheme when cracks appeared sets a poor example in the year we aim to show climate leadership.

“Cutting emissions starts at home. The homes we live in contribute a huge amount of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, so undertaking effective retrofits and stemming those emissions is key to reaching net zero by 2050. 

“Businesses need to get behind low-carbon housing and have the confidence to upskill employees. Householders need to get behind low-carbon housing and understand how energy efficiency can be enhanced and heating costs cut. 

“Above all, the government must get behind low-carbon housing and comprehend the complexity of decarbonising our housing stock, committing to initiatives essential to make net zero Britain a reality.”

UK homes account for 20 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, and with 19m homes failing to achieve EPC rating C, experts say there is a pressing need to make homes more energy efficient.