Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Home Energy Efficiency Measures

Tuesday 16 January 2024 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • In 2010, 960,000 homes had energy efficiency measures installed.
  • In 2022, there were only 80,000 insulation measures introduced into cavity walls and lofts.
  • The Government plans to allocate around 20 billion to clean heat and energy efficiency over the next two Parliaments.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Energy Environment
Context

In 2010, the UK aimed to improve energy performance in homes. The question queries how many homes had energy efficiency measures installed.

Question

How many homes had energy efficiency measures installed in (a) 2010 and (b) 2022?

Answer from Andrew Bowie

Because of our plan, half of homes now meet the Government's 2035 energy performance certificate band C goal, a significant jump from 14% in 2010. In 2010, low-cost measures were targeted, with 960,000 installations. In 2022, funding shifted to high-cost measures to benefit low-income households and less-efficient homes, resulting in approximately 200,000 installations last year.

Answered
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Q2 Matt Rodda Lab Reading Central
Energy Environment
Context

There was a significant drop from 1.8 million insulation measures introduced into cavity walls and lofts in 2010 to only 80,000 in 2022.

Question

I fear that the Minister may be referring rather too much to new build homes. The reality is that in 2010 there were 1.8 million insulation measures introduced into cavity walls and lofts, yet in 2022, in comparison, there were only 80,000. That has left my constituents in Reading and Woodley, who mainly live in Victorian and 20th-century homes, struggling with very high bills, so what is the Minister going to do about that?

Answer from Andrew Bowie

The hon. Gentleman did not acknowledge that we have moved from 14% to 50% because of the actions of a Conservative Government. To answer his question directly, we are allocating around £20 billion to clean heat and energy efficiency over this Parliament and the next, which will benefit his constituents. That includes our Great British insulation scheme, worth £1 billion, which will deliver insulation measures to around 300,000 of the country's least energy-efficient homes, saving them £300 to £400 each year by March 2026.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The reduction in insulation measures installed in older homes

How: Did Not Address The Specific Drop From 1.8 Million To 80,000

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Q3 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Energy Environment
Context

There was a significant drop from 1.8 million insulation measures introduced into cavity walls and lofts in 2010 to only 80,000 in 2022.

Question

I echo the observations of my hon. Friend the Member for Reading East (Matt Rodda). I remember in 2008-09, long before I came into this place, working endlessly with Cambridge City Council and energy providers on encouraging people in the city to take up home insulation schemes. Since then, we have seen precisely nothing—nothing has been going on. Labour has a huge ambition for the future; what is the Government's ambition?

Answer from Andrew Bowie

I know mathematics is not a strong point for the Labour party, but I will go over the figures again: 14% to 50% over the course of the last three Parliaments, delivered by the actions of this Conservative Government. We have a plan to continue to deliver for the least well-off in those homes that need more energy efficiency measures. As I just said to the hon. Member's colleague, we are allocating £20 billion to clean heat mechanisms over this and the next Parliament, and we are going to continue to deliver for the British people.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Labour's lack of ambition in energy efficiency measures

How: Did Not Address Labour'S Lack Of Ambition

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Q4 Philip Hollobone Con
Housing Energy
Context

Thousands of new homes are being built across the Kettering constituency, and there is a need to decarbonise future housing stock.

Question

Thousands of new homes are being built across the Kettering constituency. What is my hon. Friend doing, together with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to decarbonise the future housing stock and improve energy efficiency in new build housing?

Answer from Andrew Bowie

We recently announced further details of the £6 billion extension that will be allocated from 2025 to 2028. This will support an extra 500,000 homes—prioritising those who need it most, but including new build—and is on top of support for 700,000 families to install improvements through the Great British insulation scheme and the energy company obligation by March 2026.

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