Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 14
Thirty-Seventh Report - Decarbonising home heating
Published 26 May 2024
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Decarbonising home heating All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
While some organisations advocated a ‘fabric first’ approach, which involves improving the thermal performance of materials in a building prior to installing a heat pump, others suggested that it is not necessary, making it difficult for households to determine cost- effective measures. In their written evidence to us, the Energy & Utilities Alliance and National Energy Action both suggested, for example, that a fabric first approach would reduce bills and cut energy consumption, while the Kensa Group highlighted that loft and cavity wall insulation reduced heat-related energy consumption by only around 10%.27 DESNZ told us that it planned to assess the effect of changes it has made to insulation requirements on people’s experience through its planned evaluation of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.28 23 DHH0053, Written evidence submitted by Centrica, 29 April 2024 24 Qq 3–4, 6–7 25 DHH0050 26 Qq 4–7, 13 27 DHH0040, Written evidence submitted by Energy & Utilities Alliance, 29 April 2024; DHH0020, Written evidence submitted by National Energy Action, 29 April 2024; DHH0016, Written evidence submitted by The Kensa Group, 29 April 2024 28 Qq 39–42 Decarbonising home heating 13
From: Public Accounts Committee, Thirty-Seventh Report - Decarbonising home heating (HC 653), 26 May 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 11 July 2025 (deadline 26 July 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government states that it agrees with most of the Committee's recommendations on decarbonising home heating, some with target dates still "to be confirmed", and disagrees with one, on gas network decommissioning.
- On heat pump running costs, the government agrees with the recommendation, but implementation is "dependent on further steers from new ministers" and no date is set. It says it "is considering" the best way to bring costs down.
- On installer numbers, the government agrees, with a target of Summer 2025. It says decisions on future training support "will form part of Spending Review 2025 (SR25)", as the Heat Training Grant is funded until April 2025.
- On data, the government agrees to publish quarterly data on retrofit installations using government funding, with a target of Winter 2024. It "cannot commit" to publishing data on new builds or unfunded installations "until a suitable mechanism is found".
- The government disagrees with the recommendation to set out gas network decommissioning arrangements by end-June 2025, saying a full assessment "will require more time". It says it is "currently exploring ways" to facilitate the transition.