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Localised sustainability
Sustain Britain to unveil ‘Greenprint for a Sustainable, Independent Britain’ at September conference.
15 September 2025
Today (22 Jan), UK100 welcomed the government’s Warm Homes Plan as ‘a strong foundation for delivering warmer homes and regional economic growth’.
At the same time the cross-party network of local climate leaders – representing over 120 local authorities and over 60% of the UK population— urged ministers to address gaps in public building investment and enforcement funding in order to realise the Plan’s full ambition.
The Plan confirms £15 billion in funding for household energy efficiency — the biggest public investment in home upgrades in British history.
Crucially, it delivers what councils have been asking for: multi-year funding certainty, area-based delivery through local partnerships and recognition that local authorities are ‘the critical actors in planning a transition that delivers for their local areas’.
UK100 welcomed the Plan’s recognition of Local Area Energy Plans (LAEPs) and Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) as tools for coordinating home upgrades with network infrastructure — a key ask from local leaders.
The commitment that low-income schemes will ‘shift toward area-based delivery’ from 2027/28, alongside the upcoming Warm Homes Fund call for evidence, offer real opportunities for councils to shape how investment flows to communities.
The Plan comes close to delivering one of UK100’s key Beyond Targets recommendations — embedding co-benefits through cross-sector partnerships driving progress on warm homes, clean energy and nature recovery.
The acknowledgment of ‘broader outcomes, including improved health, regeneration’ alongside energy planning is encouraging, and UK100 has confirmed its members are ready to deliver on this.
While this is a strong foundation, UK100 urges the government to address three gaps to strengthen the Plan’s impact.
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which invested £3.5 billion upgrading schools, hospitals and council buildings, ended in June 2025 with no replacement announced.
England’s schools spend over £500 million annually on energy — money that should be spent on education, not heating draughty classrooms.
The government rightly identifies 1.6 million children in cold, damp private homes, but 8.4 million children attend schools that face the same challenges.
Even the best standards are meaningless without enforcement. Research shows only 17 of 268 councils have taken action on current energy rules — not because they lack commitment, but because they lack resources.
Without dedicated funding for enforcement teams, the new EPC C by October 2030 standard for private rentals will exist on paper only.
While the Plan’s caution on insulation is understandable given documented problems with previous programmes, local leaders urge ministers not to retreat entirely from fabric-first retrofit.
‘The cheapest and cleanest energy is the energy we don’t use’ remains UK100 chief executive Christopher Hammond’s guiding principle.
Properly insulating homes through well-managed local partnerships, not fragmented national schemes, remains the most effective way to permanently reduce bills.
Despite these gaps, the Plan as published will support economic growth in regions across the country, create quality jobs and help millions of families live in warmer, more affordable homes.
New technologies and support for various ownership models could create conditions that spur local economies, particularly if centralised control is relaxed and councils are genuinely empowered to lead.
UK100 supports the Plan’s commitments but will continue advocating for equivalent ambition for the public buildings where children learn and patients recover. It is calling for public building funding and local enforcement capacity to be addressed in the 2027 Spending Review.
‘Energy efficiency is a crucial part of keeping our bills down and the lights on. New technologies and support for various forms of ownership could create the conditions that spur local economies — if centralised control is relaxed.
‘This is the kind of meaty multi-year programme councils have been dying to get their teeth into. The Plan’s commitment to area-based approaches, building local government capacity through the Warm Homes Agency, and integrating Local Area Energy Plans into delivery is exactly what councils have been calling for.
‘The investment case is strong, but it would be even stronger with equivalent commitment to the schools and hospitals where our children learn and our communities are cared for. We urge the Chancellor to address public building funding and enforcement capacity to ensure the Plan delivers.’
CHRISTOPHER HAMMOND
Chief executive of UK100
On the back of the Warm Homes Plan, UK100 is launching a new campaign calling for equivalent ambition for the public buildings where children learn and patients recover.
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