The treasury announced in the summer of 2015 that regulations on houses having to include a planned increase in on-site energy efficiency requirements, would be ditched in order to provide smoother development.

Yet last week (26 April), Government was overpowered in a House of Lords vote on the zero-carbon homes amendment. The newly amended Housing and Planning Bill was supported by 48 votes during the Lord’s Report stage, and is meant to ensure that “all new homes in England built from 1 April 2018 achieve the carbon compliance standard”.

The return of the zero-carbon homes policy gained support as peers commented on how the amendment has the potential to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets, whilst simultaneously lowering fuel bills.

BSRIA is also supportive of the House of Lords approach to zero carbon homes.

Julia Evans, Chief Executive of BSRIA, said: “BSRIA is pleased that the House of Lords has expressed an alternative view in support of carbon neutral and sent this important decision back to the House of Commons. The government can’t afford to go back and forth with the Lords as that will hold up the bill and they can’t push through their flagship policies like Starter Homes.

Regarding the Government’s defeat, Julie Hirigoyen, CEO of the UK Green Building Council said: “During the ten years prior to July 2015, the leading players spanning the housebuilding industry got behind zero-carbon homes, investing heavily and innovating to make it a reality.

The unexpected scrapping of the policy made a mockery of the Government's green credentials, and demonstrated complete disdain for the quality of the nation's new homes and the industry’s investment.”

Since abandoning the policy, the Government has suffered rebukes and criticism from green building leaders and sustainability professionals. At the start of the year, the Solar Trade Association alerted the Government that they need to urgently replace the scrapped zero-carbon homes policy or otherwise submit tenants to higher carbon emissions and higher energy bills in future years.

The National Policy for the Built Environment Committee agreed that the Government will create ‘future misery’ for homeowners if it doesn’t reconsider its widely unpopular stance on the zero-carbon homes requirement.