More than 59% of the public think the Government is not doing enough to improve energy efficiency in British homes, according to latest YouGov poll results.
Two thirds of the population believe the Government should be doing more to make it easier and cheaper for the public to improve energy efficiency in their homes.
Consequently, a coalition of 60 organisations from big business to environment groups and major trade associations is calling on the Government to strengthen its Energy Bill.
The poll found that when informed about the Energy Bill currently being debated in Parliament, nearly 55% want their MPs to vote for improvements to the Bill.
The legislation is widely seen as too weak to deliver on the Government's intentions to slash UK carbon emissions and create thousands of new 'green' jobs. Further, it will not equip the UK to meet its legally binding carbon reduction targets of 34% cuts by 2020, 60% cuts by 2030 and 80% by 2050, or reduce fuel poverty - according to Stop Climate Chaos.
The research was commissioned by Stop Climate Chaos.
Housing Minister Grant Shapps announced a definition for zero carbon homes, that he claims strikes the right balance between delivering the zero carbon homes for the future and creating the right conditions to get the homes the country needs built.
The Government's proposals for the Zero Carbon Homes standard - the standard to which all new homes started after 2016 must be built - will set tough new standards to ensure that new homes do not add to the country's carbon footprint.
Mr Shapps said that he rejected calls to make housebuilders anticipate the lifetime emissions of each property because it was not reasonable, and other measures are in place to reduce the carbon emissions from the actual use of houses.
Instead, tough standards for fabric energy efficiency (insulation, glazing) will be included in future changes to the Building Regulations.
Mr Shapps said that the Government will consult on the independent Zero Carbon Hub's recommendations on the levels for other on site carbon reduction levels, which might require renewable energy technologies to be used like solar panels. And he will confirm that a proposed regime for off-site measures like community energy schemes which deliver genuinely additional carbon savings would be introduced.
Key aspects of this will be to design a regime which will:
The Government will also review the measures which can be supported under these approaches and will consult further with industry, local government and other partners on these.