Housing: Energy
(asked on 30th October 2017) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the consultation on Fixing Our Broken Housing Market, published in February 2017, what progress has been made in reviewing home energy efficiency standards; and what plans there are for new standards to (a) require all homes to have an energy performance certificate, (b) improve energy efficiency standards for private rented homes and (c) ensure that all new homes from 2020 are low emission homes.
As set out in our paper Fixing Our Broken Housing Market, we have started work on a review of the cost effectiveness of current energy performance standards in the Building Regulations. However, following the devastating events at Grenfell Tower on 14 June, the Government has commissioned an Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, led by Dame Judith Hackitt. The independent review will report in Spring 2018. Any future changes to Building Regulations – including those to energy performance standards - will need to be considered following the outcome of the independent review, and subject to its conclusions.
Energy performance certificates (EPCs) are already required whenever a home is built, sold or rented. Since 2008, 16,889,000 EPCs covering domestic properties (including new properties) in England and Wales have been lodged on the EPC register. The latest quarterly statistics on EPCs for England and Wales were published on 31 October 2017 and can be found at:
For privately rented homes, we have legislated so that from April 2018, landlords of the worst performing properties will need to improve those properties to a minimum of EPC Band E before they can be let, lowering bills for some of the most vulnerable private tenants while ensuring costs of improvements are reasonable and affordable. As stated in the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy published on 12 October 2017 we will consult shortly on steps to make these regulations more effective. The Government will also look at a long term trajectory for energy performance standards across the private rented sector, with the aim of as many private rented homes as possible being upgraded to EPC Band C by 2030, where practical, cost-effective and affordable.
Homes built to the latest building regulations requirements are already very energy efficient. Since 2010, we have increased the energy standard for new homes by over 30 per cent, reducing energy bills by £200 on average and saving carbon. However, as set out in the Clean Growth Strategy, subject to the conclusions of the independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety, we will consult on further improving energy requirements for new homes where this is cost-effective and affordable to do so.