Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Government-funded home energy efficiency and retrofit schemes in reducing the risk of overheating during periods of extreme heat.

As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, our buildings are not currently built to deal with record summer temperatures and some are at significant risk of overheating. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has estimated there have been 10,000 excess deaths caused by summer heatwaves since 2020 (Heat summary – heat mortality monitoring reports - GOV.UK).

That’s why the government is introducing the most appropriate, cost-effective passive cooling measures into our capital schemes, to support low-income consumers and those in social housing. These include internal blinds, external shutters, reflective window films, and cooler building materials.