A report published by the National Audit Office has predicted that consumers will face 20 years of price increases in household utility bills to pay for new infrastructure.

Therefore, as the debate continues around rising energy prices and so called green taxes, the National Insulation Association (NIA) is calling on the government to retain a strong Energy Company Obligation (ECO) as it is vital to providing long-term savings on energy bills and the benefits far exceed the associated costs.

The report adds that government departments should consider the implications for consumer bills and their overall affordability before making policy commitments. The cost on domestic energy bills of the ECO, which provides free and subsidised energy efficiency measures, is £47 a year. However, the NIA said: “The savings available to householders through installing energy efficiency measures can far outweigh this cost with cavity wall and loft insulation saving around £320* per year and solid wall and loft Insulation around £670* per year according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Neil Marshall, chief executive of the NIA said: “The ECO is the only government policy specifically designed to reduce energy bills by improving the energy efficiency of our housing stock and therefore it is vital that it is retained and not rolled back or cut as part of the governments review of green levies.

“In addition to reducing energy bills and tackling the cost of living, there are other benefits to be derived from the scheme including; tackling climate change, reducing cold related excess winter deaths, security of energy supply and job creation. It is important that rather than simply talking about the costs of green schemes, the public is made aware of the savings and benefits the ECO can provide.”