MPs back stronger policy on renewable heating in homes

A survey has found that MPs support stronger government policy and increased Treasury finance to scale up the installation of renewable heating technologies for new and existing homes and help meet net zero climate targets.

Commissioned by the MCS Charitable Foundation, the survey found that more than half of MPs questioned (56 per cent) agree that it should be made a priority for the UK’s 29 million existing homes to have a green energy retrofit. More than three quarters (77 per cent) believe that small-scale renewables, such as solar PV, solar thermal and heat pumps, should be incorporated into all new build properties from 2022.

Less than half of MPs questioned believe the government is doing enough to meet net-zero targets and there was support for new regulations requiring all new homes to meet this standard by 2023.

David Cowdrey, director of External Affairs at MCS, said: “If the government is serious about meeting emissions reduction targets, the decarbonisation of our current and future homes must urgently move up the political agenda, backed by robust legislation. Less than half of the MPs polled believe the government is delivering on this, sending a clear message that they need to take decisive action, with the Treasury committing funding, to accelerate the home heating revolution.”

The survey findings follow the recent publication of the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy which outlined a £450 million finance package to support the installation of up to 30,000 heat pumps a year. The funding and timescale fall far short of the level required for heat pump sector growth to meet the government target of 600,000 annual installations by 2028.

David Renard, Local Government Association housing and environment spokesperson, said: “As the COP26 agreement recognised, local government has a fundamental role to play in tackling climate change. We have set out ambitious proposals for councils to be given the right powers and investment to retrofit over 1,000 homes a day with low-carbon efficiency measures by 2030, which could reduce energy bills by nearly £700 million a year. This could be a significant step towards the government’s ambition of achieving net-zero.

“By targeting heat pump deployment through council-owned stock, this would also provide certainty and confidence in the market and help develop the supply chain.”