MHCLG publishes consultation response summary on social housing energy efficiency standards
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) have published a summary of responses to their consultation on enhancing energy efficiency in socially rented homes in England. The consultation, which closed on 12 September 2025, invited views on government proposals to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES) for socially rented homes for the first time, setting the benchmark at Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C (or equivalent) by 2030. The evidence gathered has informed government decisions that were announced on 28 January 2026 as part of the Decade of Renewal in Social Housing update. This published document serves as an executive summary, with a full government response to be released shortly.