A YouGov poll has found that 61% of MPs support mandatory home storage battery installations for new builds.
Moreover, 79% of MPs support making solar panels mandatory for new builds.
The poll was commissioned by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) Foundation and surveyed 104 MPs between January 4-26, 2024.
The figures come amid the UK government’s ongoing consultation on the Future Homes Standard (FHS) – new regulations for new build homes which aim to reduce carbon emissions by 75% per home compared with those built under existing regulations.
The consultation will continue until March 27, 2024 with the FHS set to be implemented by 2025.
What’s in the Future Homes Standard?
The FHS currently includes regulations related to the following areas:
- Low-carbon heating – gas boilers will no longer be installed in new builds with low emission alternatives like heat pumps installed instead (the government aims to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028)
- Improving hot water systems
- Reducing heat waste by improving insulation
What does the Future Homes Standard get wrong?
While the FHS goes a long way to reducing the carbon footprint of homes, it lacks mandatory installation of home battery storage.
While installation of solar panels, as well as other renewable technologies such as wind turbines, is commendable, a lot of the energy generated can go to waste without battery storage.
That’s because solar and wind have hour-to-hour variability. The sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow as and when required. Instead, battery storage is needed to store the energy for use during peak hours.
With a majority of MPs now in favour of mandatory battery installations in new builds, we hope that the FHS will yet see these additional amendments.
Towards cross-industry collaboration
The government has already taken the positive step of introducing 0% VAT on the following, as of February 1, 2024:
- Battery storage added alongside solar PV
- Standalone battery storage
- Retrofit storage batteries
While this a positive step, the government needs to go further to achieve the ambitious goals of the FHS.
As GivEnergy MD, Dave Roberts points out, we need more cross-industry collaboration.
Only by working together – between renewable technology manufacturers, energy suppliers, property developers, etc. – can we achieve the ambitious net-zero carbon emissions targets.
