The coalition's flagship Green Deal scheme to help people get lower gas and electricity prices while cutting carbon emissions is likely to fail.
This is the warning of government advisory group the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which stated far fewer homes will receive the insulation they need as a result of the plans, the Guardian reports.
Under current laws, energy suppliers have a legal obligation to help customers improve their efficiency, but this requirement is to be removed as part of the scheme.
Chief executive of the CCC David Kennedy said: "There is a significant risk in leaving [improvements] to the market, as that has never worked anywhere in the world and is unlikely to happen in the UK."
Under the Green Deal plans, customers will be able to renovate their homes with measures such as insulation for no upfront cost, with the expenses being recovered through savings in energy bills.
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