Owners of 19 million energy inefficient homes in the UK will see their bills increase by £1,730 when the energy price cap comes into effect in October, according to Kingfisher, the parent company of Screwfix and B&Q.

A report from the retail group found that the two thirds of homes in England and Wales rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) D or below would be hit by the projected rise, compared to an increase of £982 per year for those in the third of homes which meet the government’s target energy efficiency rating of C or above.

The research also revealed a marked regional efficiency divide. Households in Wales, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the West Midlands, are set to be hardest hit due to having the least energy efficient properties, whereas London was shown to have the most energy efficient housing.

Thierry Garnier, chief executive of Kingfisher commented: “Based on our experience working with governments in eight countries across Europe, we are proposing five practical policies that we believe would make a difference – helping households to cut both their energy bills and their emissions.”

The proposed policies include cutting VAT to zero on all energy efficiency products and reducing Stamp Duty for homebuyers who buy more energy efficient properties or install energy efficiency measures in the two years after they buy a new home.

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