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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help consumers save domestic household energy.

The Clean Growth Strategy (the Strategy), sets out Government’s aspiration that as many homes as possible will be upgraded to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable. To meet this aspiration, several policies and proposals, which will also help consumers to save domestic household energy, have been outlined in the Strategy, including:

1) Developing a long-term trajectory to improve the energy performance standards of privately rented homes, with the aim of upgrading as many homes as possible to EPC Band C by 2030 where practical, cost-effective and affordable. We will consider options by consulting on this in 2018 and looking at how social housing can meet equivalent standards over the same period.

2) Seeking evidence on building a market for energy efficiency, including additional measures to improve energy performance of owner occupied homes through a Call for Evidence published alongside the Clean Growth Strategy. This Call for Evidence closed on 9 January 2018. Following an evaluation of the responses, we will publish an action plan on additional market-based measures later in 2018.

3) Following the outcome of the independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety, and subject to its conclusions, consulting on strengthening energy performance standards for new and existing homes under Building Regulations, including futureproofing new homes for low carbon heating systems.

4) We have recently consulted on reforms to ECO which would focus the whole scheme on low income and vulnerable households whilst encouraging more innovation so bring down the long-term costs of energy efficiency.

5) This proposal and our commitment to extend support for home energy efficiency improvements until 2028 at the current level of ECO funding, will support over £6 billion of investment over the next decade.

The Government has also committed to ensuring that every home and small business in the country is offered a smart meter by the end of 2020. Smart meters will enable customers to take control of their energy use, save money on bills and reduce their household energy.