Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial assistance available for homeowners to retrofit properties to prevent them from overheating in 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.

That’s why the government is introducing the most appropriate, cost-effective passive cooling measures into our capital schemes, which will deliver £4.4 billion in direct grants by 2030 to support low-income households. These include internal blinds, external shutters, reflective window films, and cooler building materials.

We also recognise that in some cases active cooling is needed to protect those most vulnerable to overheating. We have therefore expanded the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides grants of up to £7,500 for low‑carbon heating and is worth £2.7 billion up to 2030, to provide grants for air‑to‑air heat pumps which also provide cooling.

Additionally, the WHP committed to a new low-interest consumer loans scheme – backed by £2bn public funding – which will provide further support with upfront costs for various home upgrades. We will provide more details on this soon.