The UK government has today published the Warm Homes Plan. Commenting on behalf of the Academy, Professor Peter Guthrie CBE FREng, Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre’s Infection Resilient Environments Working Group, said:
"We welcome the announcements set out in the Warm Homes Plan, particularly the extension of the scheme to include solar panel and battery installations. Our Rapid decarbonisation of the electricity system report called for strategic decision making to inform investment in distribution networks. This plan provides the clarity needed and it is good to see that the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will be retained in full. Targeted interventions for people on low incomes are a vital component of the plan to ensure good insulation and low carbon technologies are available to all."
"Provided the new Warm Homes Agency is implemented well, it could give households a trusted third party to advise them on the right measures to improve and maintain energy efficiency and health for each home. The engineering community can offer pragmatic advice in maximising opportunities in retrofit and contributing to review of evolving guidance, as the Warm Homes Plan is brought to life."
"The Warm Homes Plan offers a real opportunity to create measurably healthier, safer indoor environments. We must address cold and damp conditions and overheating risks, but it is also vital that we realise the wider health benefits, including indoor air quality, as this plan is rolled out. It will be important for training programmes for installers to incorporate the opportunities for delivering health outcomes."
