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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using the kWh/m2/year rating as the principle energy efficiency rating for future energy efficiency regulations.

The principle rating referred to in building energy efficiency regulations is the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ”Energy Efficiency Rating”, which is currently based on the energy cost to the consumer. In July this year BEIS and MHCLG jointly released a Call for Evidence on EPCs which included a question on whether cost, energy consumption in kWh or carbon emissions was the most suitable rating. The Call for Evidence closed on 19 October and we are currently analysing responses. The responses to the Call for Evidence will inform future policy thinking in this area.