Energy fund to support zero carbon homes

As part of the government’s plans to provide the industry with a definition of the zero carbon standards that all new homes will have to meet from 2016, Mr Shapps is to launch a community energy fund which will allow developers to meet obligations on renewable energy by giving financial support to local energy schemes.

There is no detail on what the zero carbon definition will be yet, and one source in the industry said he did not expect this to come out until November.

Minimum energy efficiency standards will be based on those set out in the previous government’s consultation on the Code for Sustainable Homes.

The Zero Carbon Hub, which helps developers meet zero carbon standards, will receive £600,000 for its work this year, and will test the costs associated with benchmarks for carbon emissions in building regulations.

Mr Shapps said: ‘This is about meeting tough environmental standards, but not dictating how every home should be built. Councils and developers together are in the best position to decide how best to meet these standards, so we’re giving them the flexibility and a range of options to do this.’

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