Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2017 to Question 108862, on energy: housing, when he plans to (a) review the best support for home energy efficiency beyond 2022, (b) consult on raising EPC standards and (c) publish recommendations made by the Green Finance Taskforce.

The Government will be consulting on the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) from 2018 to 2022 next year and will, in parallel, be considering the best forms of support for home energy efficiency over the longer term for subsequent consultation.

With respect to raising EPC standards, the Government will 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. We will consider options with a view to consulting in 2018. In addition, the Government is looking at how social housing can meet similar standards on the same timetable. When looking at this the Government will need to take account of the findings of the independent public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower and the Government’s separate work looking at wider social housing policy issues.

Finally, the Green Finance Taskforce is an industry-led group. Members have agreed to submit their final recommendations to Government by spring 2018.