Leaky homes leave marginal seats exposed to energy prices

The proportion of homes meeting Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C is below the national average in the vast majority of England’s 40 most marginal parliamentary constituencies, according to a new report.

The analysis, carried out by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said that 60% of homes in England are rated EPC band D or below.

But the proportion of homes meeting EPC band C is lower than this average national figure in 37 of England’s 40 most marginal seats at the 2019 general election.

Of the 37 seats, 18 are Conservative/Labour and four are Tory/Liberal Democrat marginals, according to the ECIU’s analysis.

The former group includes the UK’s most marginal constituency, Bury North, which the Tories won by a margin of 105 votes and where 73% of households are living in properties rated Band D or worse.

The ECIU said households living in band D properties are on average paying £170 more per year on energy bills than their band C neighbours. This figure rises to £420 for those living in the bottom rated band F homes.

The ECIU report said worse than average energy efficiency means households in these highly marginal constituencies will be more vulnerable to soaring gas and electricity bills.

The report also highlighted that homes below the band C EPC target are located disproportionately in the north and midlands, which were the focus of last week’s government levelling up white paper to improve the performance of lagging regions.

In addition, the report said there are higher than average incidences of fuel poverty in 27 of the 40 most marginal constituencies, where typically the winning party had a majority of fewer than 2,000 votes.

Commenting on the report, Alexander Stafford, Conservative MP for Rother Valley, said: “Some have sought to attack ‘net-zero’ as being part of the problem, I actually say it’s part of the solution.

“By making homes more energy efficient and by decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels in favour of cheaper renewables, we are on a path which will eventually rid us of the regular uncertainty of fluctuating gas prices.”