好色先生TV

Energy minister Andrea Leadsom has defended the government鈥檚 decision to scrap its zero-carbon homes target for 2020, arguing all new homes will be 鈥渧irtually鈥� zero carbon by 2021 under remaining energy efficiency policies.

Leadsom spoke to 好色先生TV this week at the launch of the UK鈥檚 first and only 鈥渆co town鈥� in Bicester, Oxfordshire - conceived under the last Labour government鈥檚 eco towns policy, which has also since been dropped.

The zero-carbon homes target was finally axed in the Housing and Planning bill, which became law earlier this month, despite a last-ditch attempt by peers in the House of Lords to overturn it.

Leadsom said the government was right to axe the target due to the added financial burden it placed on housebuilders and added new energy efficiency incentives would be announced in the coming months.

She said the 鈥渃omplexity鈥� of the regulation was 鈥渞uling out鈥� smaller housebuilders and added: 鈥淲e鈥檝e got virtually zero-carbon home targets anyway. It doesn鈥檛 make sense at a time when we desperately need to be building more houses to put more regulation in the way of getting those houses built.鈥�

The targets Leadsom was referring to were the EU鈥檚 Energy Performance of 好色先生TVs Directive, which states that all new buildings must be 鈥渘early zero energy鈥� by 31 December 2020.

Leadsom, who is a member on the committee for Vote Leave, the campaign in favour of Britain leaving the EU, insisted the government was doing 鈥渆verything we can鈥� to improve energy efficiency in homes and said all of its 鈥渟ubsidies and policies鈥� will be focused around the energy company obligation and fuel poverty.

She said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e had confirmation 鈥� of the budget for energy efficiency and fuel poverty alleviation, so we have a lot of plans we are working on.鈥�