Peter Aldous writes for ConservativeHome.

In the wake of last month’s trio of by-elections, it is clear that it is the outcome from the western outskirts of London that is driving the conversation more than any other. In Uxbridge we saw a surprise, if welcome, Conservative victory which many, including Steve Tuckwell, my new colleague, has put down to the impact of the incoming Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) expansion.

In some circles, this backlash has been interpreted as part of a wider anti-green wave that, if we were able to replicate nationally, we could ride to general election victory. In my opinion, the root of the backlash is rather that public support for Net Zero hinges on the perception that it is fair and affordable.

Fair and affordable. It is those two things that need to be at the heart of our Net Zero push. The results suggest that Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ has not passed this test on either count for voters in Uxbridge, but we should not mistake that for a pushback against environmental policies.

Polling suggests it remains overwhelmingly popular for British voters across the country. Instead, we should be focusing on climate-friendly policies that can help both make us all better off and, most importantly, help the least well off through the cost-of-living crisis.

So how do we do that? One way is to ensure that low-income households live in energy-efficient homes. Without rolling out insulation, we will have little chance of reaching our 2050 Net Zero target (or improving our energy security). It also happens to be one of the most effective ways we can bring down the cost of living by cutting down energy bills.

Yet these works remain expensive and unaffordable for many. We cannot expect anyone, particularly if they have a low income, to suddenly cough up for a heat pump or triple glazing even if they do want to reduce their emissions.

Alongside energy efficiency, we must make sure that the heating systems of the future mean savings for households, not an extra cost to bear. This can be done through reducing electricity costs.

But this should not be done by removing some elements of the electricity bill and adding them to the gas bill. This would lead to unfair outcomes for low-income gas users who cannot afford electrical heating.

While the stick will be needed to prompt action, the carrot is equally important. More investment and incentives are needed urgently to help homeowners, landlords, and housing associations to get their houses in order.

The Government’s new Great British Insulation Scheme is welcome, but it is clear that we need to up the ante even more. Being climate friendly should not be uneconomically out of reach for people in this country.

But there is also another side to energy efficiency: fairness. Research suggests 6.6 million people themselves living in fuel poverty right now, a number driven by the sudden rise in energy bills. It is not these people who should be footing the bill for Net Zero, just as it should not be carers and pensioners in Uxbridge who are responsible for cleaning up the capital’s air.

The Government has a statutory target to ensure all homes in fuel poverty are EPC C or above by 2030; it is these people we should be putting at the front of the queue to benefit from the net zero push. Decarbonising their homes will mean reducing their bills and easing the cost-of-living pressures on them.

In the meantime, we also need to insulate these people from unaffordable energy bills. It is why the introduction of a social tariff, which the Government signaled they would introduce by April 2024 in the last Budget, is so vital. This would see those on low income or in vulnerable households able to access cheaper energy to protect them from the volatility of the market, as well as any levies on bills.

Net Zero can be a tide that raises all boats. Creating an energy efficiency program fit for the future can create tens of thousands of jobs, cut billions off the NHS bill for treating those in cold homes, and power up our economy. The Government should not give up on its environmental agenda.

Rather, it needs to be centred at the point of fairness and affordability, addressing both climate change and the cost of living. Rather than relaxing our pace, we should quicken our steps, and make sure the most vulnerable in this country are at the forefront of the benefits in the race to Net Zero.