Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help owners of listed homes improve energy efficiency.

Making historic buildings more energy efficient is an important part of meeting Government ambitions with regard to Net Zero and energy efficiency. There are approximately 350,000 listed domestic properties, which make up 2% of our housing stock.

In the Government’s British Energy Security Strategy, published earlier this year, we committed to reviewing the practical planning barriers which households can face when installing energy efficiency measures, including in conservation areas and listed buildings. My Department has been working on the review jointly with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and will make an announcement on the outcomes in due course.

Historic England has recently updated its guidance for homeowners of historic buildings on how to adapt older buildings sympathetically to be more energy efficient. Historic England are making changes to their website that will make it easier for people to find detailed advice on how best to retro-fit their older homes.