We were commissioned by The Royal Institute of British Architects to produce a new report on the energy efficiency of UK housing and on the impacts of the coronavirus on the emissions from UK housing stock.

This report makes a series of recommendations that will form part of RIBA’s lobbying efforts on how public finances can be managed to support the transition to net zero.

 The recommendations include:

• The creation of a National Retrofit Strategy

• A sliding scale of stamp duty, capped at £25,000, with the most energy efficient homes accruing significantly less tax than the least energy efficient

• A commitment to front-load money that the government is committed to spending on energy efficiency over the next decade so that it is spent over the course of this Parliament, to address a shift in balance of emissions and assist with the coronavirus economic recovery

• Better targeting of existing income support payments including the Warm Homes Discount and the Winter Fuel Payment, which are presently poorly targeted towards the most fuel poor

• A clear long-term timeline for increasing the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for both the private and social rented sectors

• Stronger standards for new homes