Energy Efficiency Regs will reduce housing supply - claim

Housebuilders have branded a west country council’s decision to ask for all new homes to be net zero as ‘unaffordable' and ‘undeliverable' at scale.

They argue that Bath and North East Somerset council’s decision cuts across work between industry and the government for all homes to be ‘zero carbon ready' under future homes standards to go live by 2025.

A home is ‘zero carbon ready' when it can rely on heat pumps and solar panels rather than gas boilers and has an efficient mechanical ventilation system.

The National Federation of Builders’ planning and policy head Rico Wojtulewicz says: "It's going to make homes unaffordable and sites unviable. Industry is happy to move to a net zero standard when it's ready. But it's not ready now. This is going to be painful.”

Wojtulewicz adds that ensuring all homes have a battery, solar panels and can be powered off the grid would potentially add as much as £20,000 to the cost of a home.

The council's new policy was adopted last week as part of an update to its local plan requiring all new homes and commercial buildings to be completely energy self-sufficient. A policy to cap carbon emissions from materials used to build large scale developments was also introduced.

Cornwall council has a similar plan under discussions.