Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Building Research Establishment's analysis entitled Tackling cold homes would save the NHS £540 million per year, published 1 March 2023, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of that analysis and the finding that potentially 700,000 homes in England are assessed as excessively cold.

Ensuring warm homes for all is a key priority for government. The Government’s ‘Help to Heat’ schemes, including the Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Energy Company Obligation, are supporting low-income and vulnerable households in the least energy-efficient homes and tackling fuel poverty, and will deliver upgrades to half a million homes in the coming years.

The benefits of the schemes include creating warmer, greener, and healthier living environments. By reducing the number of cold homes and the associated health-risks, these schemes will bring significant health benefits and reduce the strain on the NHS.