Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to support households in off-gas-grid areas to transition to electric heat pump systems.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings. In addition, £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028.
The Government is providing support for heat pump installations for off gas grid homes under a range of government schemes including the Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and Boiler Upgrade Scheme.
The Government also provides consumers with tailored and impartial information on how to improve the energy performance of their homes through GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using hydrotreated vegetable oil as a fuel source for households in off-gas-grid areas.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government expects heat pumps will be the primary technology for decarbonising off-grid buildings. The Government recognises that not all off-grid properties will be suitable for a heat pump and there will be a role for alternative low carbon technologies where heat pumps cannot be used.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the evaluation criteria used for Energy Performance Certificates for the private rental sector.
Answered by Graham Stuart
EPCs are intended to provide prospective buyers and tenants with a guide to the energy performance of different properties, in a way which is simple to understand and comparable between properties. The Government believes that energy certificates have an important role to play to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings to enable the Government to meet its ambitious net zero carbon emission targets. The Department has commenced work on developing a future version of Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RdSAP), the methodology used to produce Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for existing dwellings. The Government is also working on proposals to improve EPC metrics, with a view to consulting on these later this year, taking into account the recently published proposals from the Climate Change Committee.