Net Zero department leaves headquarters — because it wasn't energy efficient

This autumn the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero moved from a building on Victoria Street to a government-owned property in Whitehall

Poor energy efficiency ratings forced The Government's Zero Emissions Unit will move from its headquarters to greener premises.

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero's original base at 1 Victoria Street in central London had an energy efficiency rating of E, which means fuel bills cost more than those with a higher rating, publicly available data shows.

A freedom of information request submitted by The Telegraph also revealed that gas boilers were used at the headquarters, but there were no heat pumps.

The base used three gas boilers, and from January to gas ended the year costing taxpayers around £217,000. September this year.

This is despite the government last year launching a £150m-a-year program to install heat pumps in homes. Critics say the technology takes longer to heat homes, could breach noise limits and will cost households thousands of pounds despite hefty subsidies.

The department moved from its Victoria Street building to a property this autumn owned by the state. instead in Whitehall.

“Confused political commitments”

The Liberal Democrats said the Net Zero Department's poor environmental credentials reflected the chaotic nature of the Prime Minister's net zero policy.

Vera Hobhouse, the party's climate and energy spokesman, said: “This Conservative government cannot even getting your own house in order when it comes to the clean energy transition.”

“This latest fiasco is just another in a long time. a series of tangled political commitments and a failure to address the greatest challenge facing us all.

“If the Government were serious about meeting our climate commitments, they would not be shirking them and missing our chance to be leaders in the industries of tomorrow.”

Rishi Sunak has been criticized by some in his party. when he appeared to relax his net-zero emissions commitments this year, pushing back a ban on oil boilers and the sale of petrol and diesel cars until 2035.

Other Tory MPs were outraged, however, when it emerged the government would require 80 per cent of cars to be zero-emission by 2030. riots from Mr Sunak's administration, with 26 Tories rebelling against the measure.

The net zero department has now moved to 3-8 Whitehall Place and 55 Whitehall, which are said to be «energy efficient offices» , which are energy rated A.

The spokesperson added: “The building is connected to Whitehall's district heating system and features energy-efficient LED lighting to support our zero-emission targets.”

According to the statement Government, Mr Sunak formed the department in February 2023 to «deliver more energy from domestic nuclear and renewable sources as we harness the power of net zero.»