THE number of energy efficiency improvements has plummeted “at the worst possible time,” Labour said today as energy costs are expected to soar.

As spiralling bills present a bleak picture for the coming winter months, analysis by the party found that work to improve energy efficiency declined by more than 50 per cent in the first six months of this year.

The total fell from 261,315 to 126,131 compared with the same period of 2021.

Labour said that the figure for the second quarter was the lowest since 2018. It blamed the drop on failed management by the government.

A document from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said the sharp fall in the second quarter, which saw far fewer installations than the first, was caused by problems with a transition between efficiency schemes.

Shadow climate change minister Kerry McCarthy said: “The energy price cap has just soared to record levels and people are terrified of what that means for their bills this winter.

“The government should have been working round the clock to insulate homes and ensure as many households as possible benefit from lower bills.

“Its failure to do so despite repeated warnings risks leaving millions out in the cold.”

Ms McCarthy said that there was still time for the government to adopt Labour’s plan to freeze energy bills and protect millions of families this winter.

“Failing to act would be unforgivable,” she added.

Friends of the Earth head of policy Mike Childs called on Boris Johnson’s successor to make energy efficiency a top priority.

“The poor level of insulation in UK homes is a shocking testament to the government’s failure to take this issue seriously,” he said.

“This winter, millions of households will be paying sky-high bills for heat that will simply escape through roofs, walls and draughty windows and doors.

“The next prime minister must make energy efficiency a top priority and commit to funding a free, street-by-street home insulation programme, focusing on those most in need.”

A BEIS spokesman said: “We are investing £6.6 billion in total this parliament to improve energy efficiency across the country, with the majority of our support targeting those on low-income and vulnerable households.

“Huge progress has already been made, with the number of homes with an energy efficiency rating of C or above at 46 per cent and rising, up from just 14 per cent in 2010.”