The U.K. government on Tuesday introduced new rules requiring developers to install heat pumps and solar panels in all new homes across England, in policymakers’ latest response to the economic fallout of the Iran conflict.
U.K. ministers say the Iran war and the largest supply disruption in the history of the oil market reinforces the need to leverage clean power as an energy security tool.
The Future Homes Standard — a set of new-build regulations for England from 2028 — will establish requirements to ensure homes are built with on-site renewable electricity generation, the majority of which is expected to be provided by solar power.
The rules will also see homes built with low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps and heat networks.
The government added that plug-in solar panels, which homeowners can install on balconies, would be available within shops over the coming months.
“The Iran War has once again shown our drive for clean power is essential for our energy security so we can escape the grip of fossil fuel markets we don’t control,” Britain’s Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said in a statement.
“Whether through solar panels fitted as standard on new homes or making it possible for people to purchase plug-in solar in shops, we are determined to roll out clean power so we can give our country energy sovereignty,” he added.
The guidance was broadly welcomed by energy industry players, while some campaigners called on the U.K. government to go further to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
“People want to be free of these fossil fuel crises — since the conflict in the Middle East began, interest in solar has shot up 50%, heat pump and electric cars are also seeing surges,” Greg Jackson, founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, said in a statement.
“Every solar panel, heat pump and battery cuts bills and boosts Britain’s energy independence. And the government’s latest steps can help cut the costs of electrification,” Jackson said.
Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use will be necessary to curb global heating, with the burning of coal, oil and gas identified as the chief driver of the climate crisis.
Energy security
The U.S. and Israeli-led war on Iran, which began on Feb. 28, continues to disrupt oil production and shipping in the region, with traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz effectively grinding to a halt in recent weeks.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key narrow maritime corridor that connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Roughly 20% of global oil and gas typically passes through it.
Opposition lawmakers, meanwhile, urged the ruling center-left Labour Party to focus on securing domestic energy supply to lower consumer bills amid the Iran war energy crisis.
In a post on social media, shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho of the center-right Conservatives called on the government to issue licenses for new oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
