Drayton Shares Key Green Policy Takeaways From Party Manifestos Ahead of the GENERAL ELECTION

With the general election just around the corner, Drayton has reviewed all party manifestos to round up the highlights when it comes to green policies.

Jeremy Palmer, General Manager at Drayton, commented: “We are pleased to see that green policies have remained a pivotal part of party manifestos ahead of this general election. With the growing pressure to reduce our carbon emissions and achieve net zero by 2050, commitment from the government is going to be crucial in supporting homeowners and businesses alike, and getting them onboard with the journey we must collectively take.”

Below, Drayton puts the spotlight on three key areas from across the party manifestos and explores their importance.  

1. The re-introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) in the private rented sector

Included in both the Labour and Liberal Democrat manifestos, this policy aims to target the 35% of fuel poor households in England in the private rented sector. First introduced in 2019, MEES required landlords of properties with an EPC rating below E to make efficiency improvements before re-letting the home. Although scrapped in 2023, their reintroduction would help tenants save money on energy bills and ensure they have a safe, warm, and healthy environment to live in. 

Labour: Reintroduce MEES by 2030, to help save renters hundreds of pounds per year.

Liberal Democrats: Reintroduce MEES, which will require landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties to EPC Band C or above by 2028.

2. Funding commitments for energy efficiency home upgrades

Both Labour and Conservatives have pledged to invest in energy efficiency measures, that will upgrade the UK housing stock. Sustained investment will encourage expansion in the supply chain, innovation, training, recruitment and scaled-up delivery.

Labour: Invest an extra £6.6 billion to upgrade 5 million homes for increased energy efficiency and lower bills.

Conservatives: Invest £6bn over the subsequent three years to continue upgrading homes to energy efficiency Band C or above.

3. 10-year emergency Home Energy Upgrade programme

There is a real need to encourage organisations to upskill the workforce of installers and scale-up delivery of renewable technologies and as such, the industry needs an ambitious long-term programme backed by policy certainty to support large-scale, whole-house retrofit.  

A ten-year funding programme, such as the one outlined by the Liberal Democrats, would give organisations the confidence to invest in training and innovation, and support homeowners in incorporating renewables into their homes. 

Liberal Democrats: Make homes warmer and cheaper to heat with a ten-year emergency upgrade programme, starting with free insulation and heat pumps for low-income households, and ensure that all new homes are zero-carbon.

For more information about Drayton and its range of solutions, visit www.draytoncontrols.co.uk