In a speech to the UK Green Building Council, Housing Minister John Healey confirmed that zero carbon homes will be required as a matter of law from 2016.
From 2016. homes will have all round better insulated walls, windows, ceilings and floors to meet proposed new energy efficiency standards and avoid any loss of energy.
He pledged an extra £3.2 million to boost long-term research into how we design and build energy efficient homes. The research will use new technologies and materials to provide evidence for future standards and how to drive down energy bills.
The Minister also announced that a new Government consortium will use their combined green buying power of potentially over £10 billion to boost green skills and technology, while also driving down costs.
One in three homes in 2050 will be built between now and then, which emphasises the necessity for new standards in order to meet low carbon targets. The Minister said the standards also meet a desire to change the way we live, lower our fuel bills and increase the market value of our homes with improved green credentials.
As offices, shops, hotels and warehouses will also need to be built differently, the Minister also launched a consultation to gather evidence on how the zero carbon standards could be applied to non-domestic buildings from 2019.
Cutting planning red tape to deliver low carbon homes is welcome news but it needs to be part of an overall policy delivery package to help householders retrofit their homes, warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). This was in response to the announcement by the Housing Minister, John Healey MP to overhaul the planning system in a move towards a low carbon future.
Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs at the FMB said:
"Reform of the planning system to make it easier for householders to install their own wind turbines and air source heat pumps is a significant step forward to create greener more energy efficient homes but it ignores the fact that for most householders the cost of such measures will be prohibitive.
"If the Government is serious about its aspiration to retrofit all homes by 2030, it will need to set out a clear joined-up delivery plan including a range of fiscal incentives to help householders towards the cost of installing greener measures.
"There is a chorus of support now calling for a cut in VAT to help make our homes greener and more energy efficient. Given that the UK's housing stock contributes 27% of the UK's total carbon emissions, it is becoming essential to help householders to make their homes more energy efficient if we are to have any hope of meeting our legal obligation of cutting carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
"Other measures that the Government should be considering include Council Tax rebates or reform of stamp duty to help create more energy efficient homes.
"Rather than coming out with a series of piecemeal initiatives, the Government needs to get its thinking together and set out a comprehensive delivery plan which includes reform to the planning system; incentives to help householders upgrade their homes to make them more energy efficient; and support for employers who want to train their staff to learn the new skills that are need to create a low carbon Britain.
"Only by tackling all these issues in one delivery strategy will we move towards building a greener Britain."
A new charity campaign warns of the misery faced by millions of people across the UK as they are forced to choose between heating their homes or saving money.
The warning comes from fuel poverty charities National Energy Action (NEA) and Energy Action Scotland, who have launched their Warm Homes Campaign, with aims to raise awareness of the plight of people that struggle to heat their homes adequately, and to promote current grant schemes and the benefits of energy efficiency.
The charities estimate that over than 5 million UK households face the misery of fuel poverty this winter and for many, staying warm and healthy could mean the difference between life and death.
Figures show, on average, 25,000 more people die in the UK in the winter months than during the rest of the year. Being cold in the home can worsen or cause a range of conditions including strokes and heart attacks and can contribute to accidents in the home.
The campaign will see MPs, AMs and MSPs visit projects around the UK that have made a difference to the lives of those who struggle with their energy bills.
NEA Chief Executive Jenny Saunders said:
"For millions of people, winter brings poor health, isolation, debt and worry due to high energy costs, poorly insulated homes and low incomes. This winter will be made worse for thousands of families who are suffering already due to the impact of the recession.
"The key message during the Warm Homes Campaign is the vital need for Government to increase resources for fuel poverty alleviation programmes if there is to be any chance of meeting the statutory targets of ending fuel poverty by 2016 in England and Scotland and by 2018 in Wales.
"Low income households urgently require support through grants to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Extra resources for trained advisors to help people make successful claims for benefits and to give debt advice are also essential."