Over one million households are set to be lifted out of fuel
poverty, as the government announces plans for the biggest
potential boost to home energy standards in history.
Families across the country are continuing to grapple with the
consequences of high energy bills amid a cost-of-living crisis –
with too many tenants exposed to a harsh daily reality of cold,
draughty homes and expensive bills.
Government intervention is now well overdue to transform living
standards and deliver the safety and security of warmer, cheaper
homes that are free from damp and mould.
The Energy Secretary pledged to take action to reverse these
failures of the past and stand with tenants, with a commitment to
consult by the end of the year on boosting minimum energy
efficiency standards for private and social rented homes by 2030.
Currently, private rented homes can be rented out if they meet
Energy Performance Certificate E, while social rented homes have
no minimum energy efficiency standard at all.
The government will now shortly consult on proposals for private
and social rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate
C or equivalent by 2030.
The government has also announced a new Warm Homes: Local Grant
to help low-income homeowners and private tenants with energy
performance upgrades and cleaner heating, and confirmed the
continuation of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, as well
as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, which replaces the Social
Housing Decarbonisation Fund, to support social housing providers
and tenants.
Today's announcements kickstart delivery of the government's Warm
Homes Plan, which will transform homes across the country by
making them cleaner and cheaper to run, from installing new
insulation to rolling out solar and heat pumps.
Notes to editors
- The number of tenant households in fuel poverty which are set
to benefit from higher minimum energy efficiency standards is a
preliminary estimate using the DESNZ National Buildings Model
based on the assumptions from the Government's preferred position
in the 2020 consultation on
Improving the Energy Performance of Privately Rented Homes in
England and Wales. The same assumptions were also applied to
social housing to estimate the impact of new standards in the
social rented sector. This includes assuming an energy
efficiency target rating of C based on SAP2012 and the estimate
refers to fuel poor households in England only. No account is
taken of other future policies that might interact, such as the
Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund. Fuller analysis will be set
out in an Impact Assessment for the Regulations.
- Guidance for Local Authorities on the new Warm Homes: Local
Grant, which replaces the Local Authority Delivery scheme, and
which will start delivery in 2025, can be found here.
The expression of interest window for Local Authorities wishing
to participate will open in October this year. Low-income,
private tenants will be eligible for support, with the
agreement of their landlord. Private tenants are also eligible
for support under the Energy Company Obligation. Further
details of the Warm Homes Plan will be set out through the
Spending Review.
- Guidance for Wave 3 of the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund,
which opens for applications in week commencing 30 September,
can be found here.
- Guidance for Phase 4 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation
Scheme, which is delivered by Salix Finance, can be
found here.
- We will shortly set out a consultation with proposals for
improvements to Energy Performance Certificates to make them more
accurate and reliable.
