Low carbon heating standard to be unveiled by chancellor

All new build homes will be required to have low carbon heating under a new standard, which is due to be unveiled by Phillip Hammond this week.

The Treasury has revealed that the chancellor of the exchequer’s spring statement, which takes place this Wednesday (13 March), will include a future homes standard for cutting emissions from new housing.

Under the new standard, all new build homes will be required to have low carbon heating and “world leading” levels of energy efficiency.

The standard, one of a series of measures that will promote sustainability in the half yearly fiscal statement, is designed to help to deliver Theresa May’s pledge last year to at least halve the energy use of new build properties by 2030.

The prime minister also made a commitment to cut the cost of renovating existing buildings to achieve a similar level of energy savings.

The Treasury said the standard would future proof new build stock so it does not require costly upgrades at a later date as energy efficiency must be ratcheted up in line with wider carbon reduction targets. Details of the new standard will be consulted on during 2019.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), published a report last month urging the government to dramatically improve energy efficiency standards for both new and existing housing in order to help meet the UK’s statutory targets to emissions to 80 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050.

It warns that emissions from buildings must fall by at least 24 per cent by 2030 from 1990 levels and that the 2050 target will not be met unless there is a near elimination of emissions in the built environment.

• Utility Week’s Energy Summit ‘Delivering a robust future for UK energy in a post-Brexit landscape’ takes place in London on 13 June. Download details at  https://event.utilityweek.co.uk/summit/