Cost of living: Labour claims Kirklees families could save over £1,000 in energy costs under Warm Homes Plan

As energy prices reach eye-watering highs the Warm Homes Plan would see 117,000 homes across the borough upgraded as part of Labour’s “national mission” to make every home in the country warm, well-insulated, and cheaper to heat within a decade.

Nationally, this would see the upgrade of 19 million homes across the UK over the next ten years.

The party stated that if the government had implemented the scheme when Labour originally called for it in September 2021, two million of the coldest homes could have been upgraded by this Winter.

Analysis from Labour reports that families would make a saving of up to £1,036 off their annual energy bill. A saving of over £2bn would be felt nationally in the first year of the scheme, with Kirklees contributing £117m to this figure.

These proposals come as part of Labour’s wider Green Prosperity Plan which would see the generation of one million jobs, bring down energy bills, raise living standards and tackle the climate crisis.

Coun Paul Davies, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Colne Valley constituency, said: “Like every community in Britain, people in Colne Valley and across the Kirklees district are facing a cost of living crisis with rocketing energy bills. 12 years of failure by the Conservatives to insulate our homes is one of the reasons bills are so high - too many working people and pensioners live in draughty, cold homes with high heating costs.

“If the Conservatives were serious about cutting energy bills, they could start right now, by delivering the Warm Homes Plan that Labour has called for. A proper national mission would save 19 million families over £1,000 on their bills, as well as creating good construction jobs in our community.

“Labour will deliver the Warm Homes Plan we need, as part of our Green Prosperity Plan to make Britain a clean energy superpower - delivering lower bills, jobs in the green industries of the future, tackling the climate crisis, and making Britain energy independent once and for all.”

However, at a recent meeting of Kirklees Council, the UK’s role in tackling the climate crisis was disputed with some members of the opposition stating that on a global scale, Kirklees’ response to the climate crisis would be insignificant.

These comments came as Kirklees Council’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) was formally unveiled last month, with Kirklees said to be “ahead of the curve” in its approach. The plan presents 206 actions to be implemented across the district to address the climate emergency and make the borough net zero and climate ready by 2038.

However, this approach was condemned by some, with Coun Michael Watson suggesting the council was “catastrophising” and could be suffering from “corporate herd psychosis.” He said that as only 1,499 people across the borough had engaged with the plan, there were “a lot of people in Kirklees who have no interest whatsoever in this.”

The Coun went on to say that the council was devoting a great deal of resources to the cause in a time when they are struggling financially and explained that in the global landscape, Kirklees’ approach to the climate emergency would make “not one iota of difference.”

Despite the differing views across the council, the CCAP was granted approval. The next stage will see stakeholders consulted about the prioiritsation of actions within the plan.