Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic benefits of a large-scale investment programme to improve the energy efficiency of domestic buildings.

Investment in energy efficiency brings a wide range of economic benefits to households, businesses, society and the energy system as a whole. More efficient homes mean lower energy bills and increased comfort for occupants, the annual running costs of a Band C rated home are £270 lower than the average Band D rated home and £650 lower than the average Band E rated home. There are also benefits through the improved occupant health, the Building Research Establishment has estimated that the cost of cold and damp homes to the NHS is approximately £760 million per year. The energy efficiency industry forms the largest group within the low carbon and renewable energy sector and the UK’s energy efficient product group has a turnover of over £20.7 billion and employs over 140,000 full time equivalents. Energy efficiency can also play a crucial role in meeting our carbon targets at least cost, by helping reduce pressure on energy system as we move towards low carbon electricity and heat. This is why, in the Clean Growth Strategy, we set out our aspiration that as many homes as possible should be Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable.