Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the efficacy of measures intended to increase the energy efficiency of newly built and renovated housing.

The Government remains committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it.

Through the Building Regulations, the Government sets minimum performance standards for new homes and buildings. In 2021, these standards were strengthened to ensure new homes and buildings are highly energy-efficient, with high-quality insulation and effective ventilation. These changes came into force in June 2022. We intend to introduce further changes to the Building Regulations through the Future Homes and Buildings Standards in the coming months. These standards will ensure new homes and buildings are extremely energy-efficient and use low-carbon heating.

A range of other mechanisms are being used to facilitate the retrofitting of existing buildings to higher energy efficiency standards.

We are investing £13.2bn in the Warm Homes Plan over the Spending Review period, which is a major step forward in the government’s plans to upgrade 5 million homes over this Parliament and cut energy bills for good. Through the Warm Homes Plan, we will help households take up measures like solar panels, heat pumps, home batteries and insulation, helping them save money on their bills and benefit from cleaner, cheaper heating.

Additionally, schemes such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme help property owners make the transition from fossil fuel heating to more efficient, low-carbon systems, by offering upfront grants for self-build homes and retrofit installations, including renovation projects.