Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to encourage increased insulation of new homes to reduce domestic heating requirements.

In December 2021 the Government introduced an uplift in energy efficiency standards which came into force on 15 June 2022. The uplift comprises a revised package of performance metrics that ensure a fabric-first approach is at the heart of all new homes. This will likely mean an increase in the thickness of insulation in many new homes compared to the current levels.

We also anticipate that many builders will choose to comply with the 2021 standards by installing solar panels or low carbon heating such as heat pumps (or both), meaning that homes built to the 2021 standards will have a lower overall energy demand.

From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will deliver a further considerable improvement in energy efficiency standards.