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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of proposals for the supply of energy from renewable or low carbon energy supply systems in new developments in (a) the UK and (b) Leicestershire.

In the future, the Government expects to see a mix of low carbon technologies used for heating and it is unlikely that there will be a one-size-fits all solution. Low carbon heat networks, equipped with large heat pumps or recovering surplus heat from natural or industrial sources, can provide heating and hot water for new buildings at very low carbon emissions. There will also be a role, where appropriate, for other low-carbon technologies and renewable electricity generation such as solar photovoltaics. The Building Regulations will continue to set a performance-based standard rather than mandating or banning the use of any technologies.

From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will ensure that new homes produce at least 75% fewer CO2 emissions than those built to current standards. No further energy efficiency retrofit work will be necessary to enable them to become zero-carbon over time as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise.