The UK is in urgent need of a sensible home-energy policy

Good morning.

Houses in the UK are some of the oldest and least energy efficient in Europe. A new report by Friends of the Earth and the Institute of Health Equity found that 9.6m households are living in cold, poorly insulated homes. These households also have incomes below the minimum for a decent standard of living, meaning that they cannot afford to install double glazing or insulation, for example, to make their homes warmer. The analysis comes just weeks after the Labour party U-turned on a key climate proposal, which included a pledge to insulate millions of homes. Meanwhile, over the last 13 years the government has reversed plenty of policies designed to tackle the insulation problem in the UK.

To help me unpack the latest research on insulating homes, I spoke with Guardian health and inequalities correspondent, Tobi Thomas. That’s right after the headlines.

Five big stories

In depth: ‘Living in a poorly insulated home negatively affects children’s brain development’

The environmental benefits of retrofitting homes is clear and simple. Better insulated homes require less energy, which cuts down on fuel consumption and brings Britain closer to its climate targets. Without measures to insulate Britain’s homes, the country will struggle to meet crucial goals set in the Paris climate agreement.

Cold homes and health

Poorly insulated homes cause and exacerbate a plethora of health problems, including rheumatoid arthritis as well as asthma and other respiratory illnesses and can also lead to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. In the worst case scenarios, lives are cut short – with excess winter deaths linked to poorly insulated homes up by half in Britain last year. And it’s not just physical health, Tobi says: “the report revealed that living in a cold home doubles the risk of adults developing a new mental health condition, like depression”.

These risks are further amplified among older people, children and those living with pre-existing health conditions. “Living in a poorly insulated home negatively affects children’s lung and brain development”, says Tobi, and stymies their mental health, too. The knock-on effect is well documented: children living in cold homes miss school more often due to illness and have poorer educational outcomes.

Inevitably, this burden then falls on to the already stretched health and social care services; it costs the NHS £540m a year to treat people affected by excess cold. Investing in proper insulation could alleviate some of these pressures. A study by Citizens Advice found that a major programme of retrofitting would save the NHS £2bn by 2030.

A decade of policy reversal

It has not always been like this – between 2008 and 2012 4.5m lofts were insulated and more than 2m cavity walls were treated. But over time, the political agenda shifted away from prioritising environmentally friendly policies. The first real moment of this turn was encapsulated by former prime minister David Cameron’s promise to aides that he would “cut the green crap”. On the chopping block was government support for insulation with installation rates falling by about 90%. It was the first of many short-term policies that would come at the expense of more long-lasting proposals. Studies have found that ditching these insulation schemes has added to consumers inflated bills.

Despite the mounting evidence that insulating homes is better for households and the government’s budget, ministers have continued to jettison proposals: just a few months ago Rishi Sunak scrapped the government’s pledge to force private landlords to upgrade their properties Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating by 2025. He also discarded plans to fine boiler makers who fail to meet targets for heat pumps. The climate change thinktank E3G has projected that, at the current rate of delivery, it’s going to take 146 years just to hit the goal of insulating 300,000 homes, which is way off the government’s plan to reach their target by 2026.

People are concerned about rising energy bills and the growing prevalence of fuel poverty in the country, says Tobi. “Three million households are still going to be in fuel poverty by the end of the decade because the government’s been really slow to meet its home energy efficiency targets.”

Labour’s u-turns

Rachel Reeves (pictured above) promised to be the UK’s first green chancellor boldly putting forward a £28bn green investment pledge. Making the pledge her priority, Reeves said any delays to the proposal would only cost the country more, financially and environmentally. Two and a half years and several U-turns later, the pledge has gone and with it spending on housing insulation. The Labour party is now saying that it will insulate 5m homes, a fraction of the original 19m goal. Energy experts have said that the rollback could mean that, by abandoning this policy, once in government the Labour party would be at risk of failing to meet the legally binding targets on carbon reduction and ending fuel poverty by 2030.

As both parties drag their feet on this issue, more people will continue to go without basic necessities such as heat and fuel.

What else we’ve been reading

• Though Finland is often billed as the “world’s happiest country”, the Nordic state used to have one of the highest suicide rates in the world. From alcohol to antidepressants, Miranda Bryant reports on the changes that made the difference. Nazia Parveen, acting deputy editor, newsletters

• Emine Sinmaz and Sufian Taha spoke to the family of the 100th Palestinian child to be killed in the West Bank since Hamas’s 7 October attack about the grief that has taken over their lives and the justice they are looking for. Nimo

• I’ve been doing up a house for five years, so Sarah Phillips’ excellent guide on cheap hacks to transform your home – from reupholstering to using paint to transform everything – is doubly inspiring. Nazia

• When Peyvand Khorsandi threw a chip for a pigeon to gobble up, he was handed a £150 fine. He was not just irritated at the narc-like behaviour but found himself concerned about the future of funding for local councils. Nimo

• The work of geneticist Marlena Fejzo, who found the gene behind morning sickness, is being celebrated as part of Time magazine’s women of the year series, which also includes film-maker Greta Gerwig (pictured) and Chanel CEO Leena Nair. Nazia

Sport

Formula One | Christian Horner (pictured) wants his Red Bull future to be resolved “as soon as possible” as the embattled team principal fights to save his Formula One career. Red Bull Racing’s parent company Red Bull GmbH announced on 5 February that Horner is being investigated after an accusation of “inappropriate behaviour” by a female colleague. Horner denies the claim.

Snooker | Mark Selby produced a vintage display to sweep past Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-0 and secure his place in the semi-finals of the Players Championship in Telford. O’Sullivan had looked pretty much untouchable this season, having won four titles including the UK Championship and the Masters already. However, it was Selby, a four-time world champion, who produced a high-quality display with half-century breaks or higher in five frames to end O’Sullivan’s 16-match unbeaten run.

Football | The Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart is to retire at the end of the season. The former England and Manchester City player will be 37 when his three-year contract expires in the summer. Hart made his first-team debut for Shrewsbury in April 2004 and won 75 international caps.

The front pages

The Guardian leads with “Seeing same GP each visit ‘cuts workloads and improves health’”. The i says “New Brexit deal on food and cars could be agreed with Labour, say EU officials”.

The Telegraph has a dispatch from the frontlines of the war in Ukraine: “‘I have the Russian soldiers in my sights, but no shells to fire at them’”. The Times claims people going door-to-door for charities are taught “pressure selling techniques”, under the headline “Fake tears and tricks of the charity fundraisers”.

The Mail reports “Outrage as ‘genocide’ message is beamed on Big Ben.” Finally, the Financial Times leads with “Nvidia profit bonanza drives global rally as stock markets ride AI wave”.

Something for the weekend

Our critics’ roundup of the best things to watch, read and listen to right now

TV
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix)
After two decades of waiting, we’re back in the Airbender universe with a live-action blue-eyed boy … who traps himself in an iceberg for a century so he can save the shattered world. The landscapes sparkle, there is a giant, six-legged flying bison and the young cast are up to the task. The Airbender franchise has confidently revived itself; this won’t be the last we see of it. What a thrilling ride! Jack Seale

Music
MGMT: Loss of Life
Loss of Life covers a surprising amount of musical ground in 45 minutes: everything from Ziggy-era Bowie on Bubblegum Dog to Nothing to Declare’s flirtation with Simon and Garfunkel-esque folk. It is an album that opens with someone reciting a 13th-century Welsh poem and ends with the title track dissolving into a protracted cacophony. It strikes a balance between weirdness and pop more impressively than any MGMT album since their debut; a delightful thing to immerse yourself in. Alexis Petridis

Film
Memory (cinemas nationwide)
Mexican film-maker Michel Franco, famed for his icily contrived, pitilessly controlled dramas, often shown in static tableau scenes, has made another of his complex, painful and densely achieved movies; at Venice it won its leading man, Peter Sarsgaard, the Volpi cup for best actor. It is about abuse, violence, recovery and the redemptive power of sexual intimacy, but also about just what its title proclaims: memory, and how this accumulates over a lifetime to form an identity. Peter Bradshaw

Podcast
Turdcast (Widely available, out now)
“A lot of people actually wanted to hear the podcast … lord knows why.” Joe Lycett announced this poo pod as a prank for his campaign against sewage leakage – but it’s now really here thanks to the demand for details of Gary Lineker’s World Cup pitch poo. It is tummy-achingly hilarious, with added shocking revelations: “Gazza used to let one go off in the big communal bath.” Hollie Richardson

Today in Focus

Cartoon of the day | Martin Rowson

The Upside

A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad

In rare positive news in the fight against fossil fuels, the UK has announced it will withdraw from the energy charter treaty, an agreement which allows firms to sue governments over their climate policies. “The treaty is outdated and in urgent need of reform, but talks have stalled and sensible renewal looks increasingly unlikely,” said Graham Stuart, the energy security and net zero minister. “Remaining a member would not support our transition to cleaner, cheaper energy, and could even penalise us for our world-leading efforts to deliver net zero.” France, Spain and other European countries have also left, after a proposal that the 27 EU member states quit altogether – as soon as next month.

Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday

Bored at work?

And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until Monday.

• Quick crossword

• Cryptic crossword

• Wordiply