Approximately 50 people from Insulate Britain have blocked three major routes in the capital this morning as their campaign to demand government action on home insulation enters its fourth week. The affected routes include Blackwall Tunnel, Hanger Lane and Arnos Grove.
In previous weeks, the group has focussed mainly on the M25 with additional protests on the M1, M4 and at the Port of Dover. They are demanding that Boris gets on with the job of insulating Britain’s homes starting with the homes of the poorest people in the country.
This is the eleventh time that Insulate Britain has caused disruption on motorways and A roads over the past three weeks. Insulate Britain says actions will continue until the government makes a meaningful statement indicating that they will insulate all of Britain’s 29 million homes by 2030, which are among the oldest and leakiest in Europe. [1]
Insulate Britain spokesperson Tracey, a full-time mother from Milton Keynes said:
“We’re more scared of what will happen when the climate crisis causes the breakdown of law and order, than we are of injunctions and prison. The government is focussing on us rather than what’s coming down the road. They need to face up to reality.
“If our government really wants to do something for hard-working families it should act decisively to insulate Britain’s homes. It will help people with rising energy bills, prevent 8,500 fuel poverty deaths this winter and cut carbon emissions in the most cost-effective way possible. Come on Boris: get on with the job!”
Tim Gough, an architect and academic and a spokesperson for Insulate Britain said
“There’s a growing policy gap between where we need to be on climate and where we’re heading. A national retrofitting strategy could help fill that gap. Properly insulated housing could reduce heating bills to zero for many people and reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by around 15%.
“The cost of doing this ambitious programme for all UK homes would be around £100bn or 3.5% of GDP per year over eight years, but industry research has shown costs would fall as the market for deep retrofits takes off so this is likely an overestimate.The social benefits would be considerable – lower fuel bills, less reliance on imported gas, increased property values, millions of proper jobs created and cutting the annual rate of fuel poverty deaths from 8,500 to zero.”
