The Government has said that they will put homes, workplaces, schools, and hospitals at the heart of our green economic recovery, supporting 50,000 jobs and building new supply chains and factories in the UK. Making buildings more energy efficient and moving away from fossil fuel boilers will help make people’s homes warm and comfortable, whilst keeping bills low. They are going to set a clear path that sees the gradual move away from fossil fuel boilers over the next fifteen years as individuals replace their appliances and are offered a lower carbon, more efficient alternative.
Action on buildings can rapidly support jobs and level up across the country. In addition to supporting around 50,000 jobs by 2030. Funding and regulatory measures, delivered in partnership with industry, will stimulate near-term investment whilst supporting the most vulnerable.
To future-proof new buildings they will seek to implement the Future Home Standard in the shortest possible timeline and consult shortly on increased standards for non-domestic buildings so that new buildings have high levels of energy efficiency and low carbon heating. As is the common theme across this plan, they want to stimulate investment and manufacturing in the UK. They will be aiming for 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2028, creating a market led incentive framework to drive growth, and will bring forward regulations to support this especially in off gas grid properties. This ambition still leaves open the choice as to whether they ultimately pursue hydrogen heating, an electrified heating system, or a mixture of both, whilst they continue to pilot the options.
They are providing £1 billion to extend the schemes announced by the Chancellor earlier in the year to further kickstart this market. They will reduce emissions in schools, hospitals, and public buildings by further funding for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. And they will be committing to further funding for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to continue upgrading the least efficient social housing.
The Government has said that private renters too will benefit, as they strengthen energy efficiency requirements for private sector landlords. To support those least able to pay, they will extend the Energy Company Obligation to 2026, so suppliers can help improve homes.
To go with the grain of consumer habits, they are committing to improving energy efficiency standards of household products, so they use less energy and materials, helping households and businesses reduce their bills with minimal effort, including by launching an improved Energy Technology List website. They will kickstart the green home finance market by consulting on introducing mandatory disclosure requirements for lenders on the energy performance of homes on which they lend and setting voluntary improvement targets.
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