What a waste! Most of the energy for heating we buy for our homes is wasted and in this new world of high energy prices it’s more than a waste, but it should be a crime!

This, ‘Laissez faire’ attitude to energy started in the Victorian times, with most of the heat going up the chimney due to cheap coal.

Over 50 years ago now, we designed and built what we now call ‘passive homes,’ but nothing was taken forward with these new and revolutionary ideas, apart from some small tweaks to building standards.

The research done about 50 years ago, showed we could, and we did build a house that had so much insulation in the roof, walls and floors, plus all exit doors being double doors, and treble glazed windows, and a reclaimed-heat air conditioning system, that the house needed no heating systems, other than back up for the very coldest days.

Also, nearly all of the windows faced south or southwest.

Today we are still waiting for the enhanced building regulations, (still not an eco-house) which has been held up yet again and then after that the New Homes Standards.

Over this time it seems no one in government had any real understanding of buildings, other than throwing them up.

Since the upgrades were muted, thousands of homes have been and still are being built that are nowhere near energy neutral or passive; as we call them.

Just think, if governments present and past had done the updates, and had some vision, then millions of home-owners wouldn’t be facing energy bills not in their hundreds, but thousands of pounds per year.

Ordinary people in the future just won’t be able to stay warm in winter without getting a very large energy bill.

I think it’s time that this government stopped partying and took some responsibility for past and present failings.

Householders need help with either or both a big grant to upgrade their homes, and energy rebates until either their homes are well insulated, or energy prices come down significantly; which probably won’t happen now, due to demand from an ever growing world population.

I will keep saying this until we have better design homes and with meaningful warranties to protect the buyers.