ACTIVISTS who shut down the M25 twice this week to demand that the government properly insulate Britain’s 29 million energy-wasting homes have been backed by industry experts.

More than 70 activists from new group Insulate Britain were arrested on Wednesday, after obstructing roads leading to the London orbital motorway, the country’s busiest, during the morning rush hour.

Architect and academic Duncan Baker-Brown, of the University of Brighton, called the campaign fantastic.

He said: “At least 80 per cent of our current high energy housing stock will still be around in 2050 without a hope of meeting our government’s commitment to being net-zero carbon, unless they are insulated properly to dramatically reduce their energy bills.

“Compared to capturing carbon and other high-tech solutions, retrofitting existing homes is easy.”

Mr Baker-Brown said that while the eight-year deadline set by Insulate Britain is “hugely ambitious,” it is clear what must be done.

“It just needs the commitment of our government to roll out a co-ordinated, grant-funded national retrofit programme which is just like another infrastructure project, but one that benefits the whole country with training, jobs and climate-resilient homes,” he said.

“And at £35-60 billion, it’s a lot cheaper than HS2.”

Marks Barfield Architects director Julia Barfield warned that this country has to start recognising the climate emergency.

She said: “A vital element of this is to upgrade and insulate Britain’s leaky homes through a  massive national government-funded scheme, ideally by 2030. 

“This will not only reduce carbon emissions but also create thousands of skilled jobs, significantly reduce fuel poverty and protect people from excessive heat as temperatures rise.”