Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

New Homes: Minimum EPC Rating

Monday 9 June 2025 · 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister stated that most new build homes already achieve EPC ratings of A or B due to a December 2021 standard uplift.
  • Minister intends to introduce future standards in autumn setting more ambitious energy-efficiency and carbon emissions requirements.
  • Minister mentioned that approximately 84% of new homes meet the current energy efficiency standards of EPC A or B.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Charlotte Cane Lib Dem Ely and East Cambridgeshire
Housing Energy Environment
Context

The MP questioned the steps taken to ensure new homes meet the minimum standard of EPC C rating. She also inquired about water efficiency measures.

Question

What steps are you taking to ensure that new homes meet the minimum standard of EPC C rating? As well as energy, water is an important utility. In Ely and East Cambridgeshire, we suffer drought and floods. What is the Minister doing to encourage new builds to have proper rainwater harvesting and dual piping, so that we can use rainwater to flush our toilets and for other non-drinking water uses?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

The December 2021 uplift to energy-efficiency standards means that most new build homes already achieve EPC ratings of A or B. As recently announced, the Government intend to introduce future standards in the autumn that will set more ambitious energy-efficiency and carbon emissions requirements for new homes to ensure that they are net zero-ready. We are looking at how we might make household water use more efficient, as well as a range of other interventions in my hon. Friend’s part of the country to ensure that we make the best use of water and that the necessary infrastructure is put in place to accommodate housing growth.

Answered
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Q2 Jonathan Brash Lab Hartlepool
Housing Energy
Context

The MP highlighted the issue of poor energy performance in existing homes in Hartlepool, with 24,000 homes having an EPC rating of D or below.

Question

In Hartlepool, 24,000 existing homes have an energy performance certificate rating of D or below. That means too many homes are too cold and have bills that are too high. What can the Minister do to accelerate the improvement of those homes to ensure warm homes for Hartlepool constituents?

Answer from The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

My hon. Friend tempts me into the responsibilities of another Department, but I will get the relevant Minister from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to write to him to set out what measures are being put in place as part of the warm homes plan.

Not addressed: The Minister referred the question to another department rather than providing direct information or commitment.

How: Referred To Other Department

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Q3 Graham Stuart Con Beverley and Holderness
Energy
Context

The MP referenced the historical data on homes with EPC C ratings and challenged the Minister to set a clear target for new homes by the end of his term.

Question

In 2010, just 12% of homes had an EPC C rating or above, so those homes were too cold and had bills that were too high. It was 60% by 2024 when we left power. Will the Minister share with the House the ambition and give us a number for the percentage of homes that we should expect to have that basic EPC C rating by the end of this term, which I hope will be the only one the Minister has, so he should make a difference while he can?

Answer from Matthew Pennycook

As I made clear, I recognise the December 2021 uplift in energy efficiency standards means that most new builds that come through achieve an EPC rating of A or B. Off the top of my head, though I stand to be corrected, I think about 84% of new homes meet those standards. But as I said, we have announced that we want to introduce future standards this autumn, which will drive even more ambitious energy efficiency and carbon emission requirements for new homes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a specific target or number for the percentage of homes expected to achieve EPC C ratings by his term end.

How: Referenced Existing Standards, Mentioned Future Plans

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Q4 Alistair Strathern Lab Hitchin
Climate Energy
Context

The MP welcomed the government's announcement regarding mandatory solar panels on new homes and asked about ensuring speedy implementation of this requirement.

Question

Having long campaigned on the need for much tougher regulations for solar panels on new homes, I was delighted to hear the Government announce last Friday that we will bring forward requirements to do exactly that. That will not just boost EPC ratings, but save new homeowners thousands of pounds in bills, all while reducing energy usage. How can we ensure that we move at speed so that as many of the new homes we build over the course of this Parliament as possible will benefit from our ambition here?

Answer from Matthew Pennycook

My hon. Friend has been a champion of ensuring that we get more solar panels on to new build homes and other types of building. As I said in answer to a previous question, we want to move at pace to put future standards in place. We are looking at this autumn, and that will ensure more of the new homes coming forward meet those more ambitious standards. It will mean, as he is aware, that the vast majority of new build homes have solar panels on them as standard.

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