Future or Fudge? Can the new Homes Standard future-proof our homes and halve energy use without active government support?
The Mineral Wool Insulation Manufacturers Association responds to the Chancellor's Spring Statement in which he announced a new 'Future Homes Standard' to be introduced by 2025.
Today in his Spring Statement, Chancellor Hammond announced a new 'Future Homes Standard' to be introduced just around the corner in 2025. Whilst a promising ray of light from Treasury in difficult political times, what we see are more promises with no detail on how to deliver, deflecting the potential solution out to the market place, a sector which has been decimated by sparse or unworkable policy with home insulation itself having fallen off the precipice with a severe drop of 95% since 2012.
The Mineral Wool Insulation industry embraces innovation wholeheartedly and we are in no doubt that this could be a piece of the solutions jigsaw, but a lot more will be needed to deliver the government targets of bringing all homes up to EPC C by 2035 and fuel poor homes to EPC C by 2030 and halving all energy use by 2030.
Chancellor Hammond and Treasury need to lead from the front to deliver on government ambitions, to improve the quality and safety of our homes, to improve our health & well-being in those homes, and to unleash productivity and growth in our communities - not to mention healthier air and a least cost method in meeting a major part of the government carbon targets.
There is now an immense body of evidence that advocates the need for action and warns of the consequences of inaction! However a new approach is not rocket science - plus it is vocally supported by the Committee on Climate change and the National Infrastructure Commission - Hammond must designate the energy efficiency of our homes and buildings as an infrastructure priority. The latest report from the European Climate Foundation demonstrates that government needs to take a lead on energy efficiency in order to get consumers confident in spending on making their homes efficient.
Sarah Kostense-Winterton, Executive Director of MIMA and Chair of the Energy Efficiency Infrastructure Group (EEIG) commented, “The latest Treasury announcement is positive, and it shows they’re now thinking about the issue and the huge energy efficiency gaps that still exist in the UK, but government will need to do a lot more to meet the targets they've set out on energy efficient homes. We need a comprehensive, joined up plan from government on this issue to avert a future of high-cost home retrofits, higher health and NHS costs and higher energy bills for us all and their failure to meet carbon budgets.”
