‘We need less point scoring’: What party conference season taught us about UK climate action
Source: The Guardian ·
Tories plan to scrap low-carbon housebuilding, Greens back new nuclear reactors, and Labour put oil-drilling decisions on holdNew homes could be built without solar panels, heat pumps and high-grade insulation, leading to higher household bills if the Conservative party wins the next general election.Kemi Badenoch made scrapping the future homes standard (FHS) one of the central planks of her…
From the source
New homes could be built without solar panels, heat pumps and high-grade insulation, leading to higher household bills if the Conservative party wins the next general election. Kemi Badenoch made scrapping the future homes standard (FHS) one of the central planks of her bid to become the next prime minister at the Tory party conference this week. The announcement gained little attention compared to her inheritance tax bombshell, but it would have more far-reaching impacts on a greater number of people. The UK is in need of approximately 6m new homes and failing to equip them with efficient and low-carbon energy sources would doom households to higher bills for decades to come. The Tories quoted estimates of £30,000 for new-build houses, but the real cost is likely to be much less. Installing heat pumps, solar panels, batteries and insulation costs about £5,000 to £8,000 at the point of building – a figure estimated in 2024 when energy prices were much lower – to save more than £1,300…