Jonathan Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2014-03-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his most recent assessment is of the success of the zero carbon homes policy; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Williams

Budget 2014 reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to implement zero carbon homes from 2016. In Growth Review 2011 we set out a fair, practical and cost effective approach to zero carbon homes. This made house builders responsible for abating the carbon from energy use from systems which they can control – heating and hot water systems and building services – not the energy use from appliances which they cannot be expected to control. We are taking forward the zero carbon homes policy through a staged approach of steadily strengthening the energy performance requirements in the Building Regulations and through the introduction of cost-effective options for off-site carbon reductions – ‘Allowable Solutions’. Under this Government the energy performance requirements for new homes, the latest of which come into force on 6 April 2014, have been strengthened by around 30% from the previous 2006 standard saving house holder’s fuel bills and cutting carbon emissions.