Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support his Department is providing for retrofitting and improving the energy efficiency of older rural housing stock.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund support eligible households– including in rural areas and off gas grid to upgrade their homes, with measures including insulation, solar, batteries, and heat pumps.

All eligible households in England and Wales can benefit from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) to support low-carbon heating installations, funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. There is a strong uptake of BUS grants in rural areas, with 49% of all grants given to rural properties to date.

Additionally, the government has consulted on alternative heating solutions to ensure every household has a suitable low-carbon option. The consultation is now closed. A government response will follow in due course.