BEIS Committee Energy Efficiency Inquiry

The BEIS Committee launched an Inquiry into energy efficiency asking the following questions:

• Overarching approach: Who should have responsibility to pay for energy efficiency? Should energy efficiency be considered a national infrastructure priority?
• Existing housing stock: Are the Government's targets to improve the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of our existing housing stock ambitious enough? Is there sufficient support in place to deliver targets for all homes to be EPC band C by 2035?  Is the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) an adequate mechanism to ensure fuel-poor homes are upgraded to EPC band C by 2030?
• Private rented sector: Are the Government's private rented sector regulations for energy efficiency for both residential and commercial buildings ambitious enough? Are there implementation and enforcement challenges that need to be remedied?
• Regional disparities: Are there regional disparities, including in off-grid areas, in the delivery, costs and uptake of energy efficiency measures? If so, how could these be overcome?
• Non-domestic sector: What does existing evidence indicate about progress being made towards greater energy efficiency in public and commercial buildings?
• Lessons to learn: What lessons can be learnt from the devolved administrations on delivering energy efficiency measures?

The BSA has only responded to those questions where our members have an interest. We commented on the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the private rented sector, requiring all properties to be at least an E rating before they can be rented. While Government's future plans to upgrade as many homes as possible to a C rating by 2035 will be challenging, we feel it is possible but that building societies will need a clear timetable and idea of any incentives or sanctions for landlords and homeowners to comply.

Read the full BSA response here.