Thousands of poorly insulated homes mean that people are being forced to pay over £20 million more a year on their heating bills.

Figures show that more than 23,000 homes in the Lewes district area have received poor energy efficiency ratings, those between EPC bands D to G, since 2008.

The government’s target is for all homes to be Band C or better by 2035.

Lewes Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency programme to insulate homes, claiming that thousands of families between Lewes, Seaford and Polegate are paying more than £22 million more in energy bills every year as a result.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Lewes, James MacCleary said: “This government’s failure to tackle our cold and leaky homes has piled misery on top of the cost of living crisis.

“It has left families in Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven, Polegate and local villages struggling to heat their homes and put food on the table.

“Now is the time for this new Conservative Prime Minister to make our homes warmer. If they don’t, we are facing another energy crisis in the future. 

The Argus: The amount of loft and wall insulation in the country has fallen dramatically compared to 2012The amount of loft and wall insulation in the country has fallen dramatically compared to 2012 (Image: PA)

“An emergency package of support is needed to fix leaky homes across East Sussex and cut energy bills in the long term.”

The Lib Dems claim that households with a D to G EPC rating pay an average of £931 more a year than those with a Band C rating.

Last week, chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced an additional £6 billion to better insulate homes across the country from 2025.

The number of measures – such as loft and wall insulation – being installed each year fell from 2.3 million a decade ago to fewer than 100,000 in 2021 in the wake of government cuts.

Critics have said Mr Hunt’s measures were “far too little and far too late”.

Maria Caulfield, MP for Lewes, was approached for comment.