Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for energy independence of a) current and b) predicted future levels of gas use in new build homes.

The Government’s policy on new build regulation is driving down the use of gas in new build homes, contributing to our energy independence. MHCLG has developed statistics on energy efficiency characteristics of new dwellings and will publish them shortly. Under the Future Homes Standard, to be published in early 2026, we expect new homes to be built with low carbon heating, such as heat pumps and heat networks, as well as solar panels by default. This, along with increased wider renewable generation, will boost our energy security with clean, homegrown power and increase our energy independence.