The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has met with Baroness Swinburne to discuss our concerns about the draft Future Homes and Buildings Standard.
UKGBC writes:
UKGBC met with Baroness Swinburne, the minister responsible for Net Zero and Energy Efficiency, to discuss our concerns about the draft Future Homes and Buildings Standard.
The draft Standard could see a downturn in new builds with solar panels and lower fabric standards than is already required by several councils. This would cost households an average of £400 in energy bills and saddle the whole country with the cost of an oversized electricity grid.
We joined allies including the Good Homes Alliance, RICS, Bioregional and LETI in the meeting. Together we called for the highest version of the standard consulted on, and for a new voluntary standard that local authorities could adopt as a stepping stone towards more ambitious standards with the next government. We want to see in-use energy performance testing of all new builds to help drive up installation quality and provide assurance to new owners and investors.
The meeting followed our submission to the Government’s consultation and a joint letter to Government signed by 250 organisations across the sector.