A new report commissioned by ScottishPower and WWF has highlighted the significant economic and health benefits of decarbonising UK homes.

The report, titled 'Warmer Homes, Better Living: The Double Win for Health and Economics', was presented at a Parliamentary roundtable event hosted by the two organisations.

The event brought together policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to discuss the findings of the report, which examined the multiple benefits of making homes greener, including improved health outcomes and economic growth.

The roundtable heard from research agency Energy Systems Catapult, who are working with ScottishPower and the NHS on trials to prescribe warmer homes for vulnerable patients; and from social housing retrofit experts Sero on how the more efficient use of energy in people's homes can deliver better indoor air quality and reduced burden on the health and social care system.

ScottishPower and WWF have called for a range of policy measures to accelerate the decarbonisation of homes, including:

• Scaling up delivery of energy efficiency improvements through a single GB-wide ECO (Energy Company Obligation) scheme.

• Improving consumer advice and access to finance options for home energy efficiency upgrades.

• Supporting the uptake of heat pumps by continuing to assist households with upfront costs and taking action to reduce running costs.

The report emphasises the crucial role of home decarbonisation in achieving the UK's net-zero targets while simultaneously improving public health and boosting the economy.

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Rob McGaughey, Head of Smart Heat and Cities, ScottishPower Customer Business, said: "The benefits of home decarbonisation do not start and finish with energy efficiency and emission reductions.

"The Warmer Homes, Better Living report and todays roundtable discussion highlighted that addressing the root causes of health issues through preventative measures, such as insulation and heat pumps, can help reduce the burden on the healthcare system. However, these benefits can only truly be unlocked by scaling up delivery."

Isabella O'Dowd, Head of Climate Policy, WWF, said: "With our homes accounting for around 16% of the UK's carbon emissions, domestic energy use should be a core part of the Government's net zero plan. Previous research we've published with ScottishPower shows the economic and climate benefits of smart, low-carbon domestic tech like heat pumps.

"Our latest research highlights there are also significant benefits for people's health, with resulting savings for stretched NHS and social care budgets. Today's roundtable was an excellent opportunity to bring this to life for MPs and we enjoyed a rich discussion on how it can be translated into government policy."

Rebecca Sweeney, Business Lead - Home Decarbonisation, Energy Systems Catapult said: "Delivering warm homes to the most vulnerable as the energy system transitions to net zero is a huge challenge facing the UK – and we know that living in a cold home can raise the risk of a number of health conditions, with an estimated 10,000 people dying each year across the UK as a result. Bringing together health and energy sectors to tackle this challenge through services such as our Warm Home Prescription gives us the opportunity to improve the lives and health of the most vulnerable in our society.

"Warm Home Prescription is an innovative service that finds people with health conditions made worse by the cold and gives them immediate, effective support by providing what they need to keep their home at a warm, healthy temperature."

Cerys Williams, Partnerships Manager, Sero said: "Social landlords have been given the critical task of making their housing more energy efficient, with a big focus on reducing carbon emissions. At Sero, we've supported hundreds of thousands of social homes across the UK, helping landlords first assess their homes' energy performance and then create detailed retrofit plans with step-by-step upgrades that aim to get the homes to net zero. When done right, these retrofits bring so many benefits beyond just cutting carbon emissions."

In 2021, WWF, the world's leading independent conservation organisation and ScottishPower launched a significant new partnership to help accelerate the UK's transition to net zero.

Since then, the two organisations have continued to work together to champion low carbon energy solutions and highlight the benefits of decarbonisation.