Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the energy efficiency of (a) new and (b) existing homes.

The Clean Growth Strategy sets out Government policy on meeting the UK’s emissions targets. The Department’s contribution to tackling emissions in England includes the National Planning Policy Framework, the Building Regulations, and the Decent Homes Standard.

The National Planning Policy Framework expects local planning authorities to take account of how new development will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as through its location, orientation and design. Planning practice guidance provides advice for local authorities and applicants on implementing these policies.

In the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy we committed to reviewing the energy performance standards in the Building Regulations, including consulting on improving energy efficiency requirements in new and existing homes where the evidence suggests it is cost effective, affordable, practical and safe to do so. Further to this, Government committed to introducing a Future Homes Standard by 2025 for new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency. We plan to consult on these matters in the coming months.

The Decent Homes Standard (DHS) requires that social homes provide residents with a reasonable degree of thermal comfort. All social landlords are required by the Regulator of Social Housing to meet the DHS. Homes for social housing are required to have efficient heating and effective insulation and be free of serious hazards that present a risk to residents, including excess cold. The Social Housing Green Paper asked whether there are changes to what constitutes a decent home that we should consider. The consultation closed in November 2018 and we are currently considering responses.