A coalition of charities and campaigners have demanded the chancellor funnel more funds into making Britain’s leaky housing stock energy efficient at next week’s budget to help cut bills and protect the environment.

In a letter to Jeremy Hunt, more than 20 organisations asked the government to set aside at least £6bn a year over the next decade to support an acceleration in insulating home and installations of heat pumps.

The coalition, which includes the charities National Energy Action, Age UK and Greenpeace UK, said Hunt needed to kickstart a renewed drive to improve efficiency to “insulate the whole country against energy price shocks”.

The surge in wholesale gas prices, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has led to soaring energy bills and pushed two million more people into fuel poverty.

Campaigners said ensuring heat was not lost through poorly insulated housing would cut domestic costs and reduce emissions. Housing is directly responsible for about 14% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.