ALL new and renovated homes could be required to be more energy efficient.

And City of York Council could lobby government to make it compulsory for solar panels to be installed on all new houses.

Building standards for future homes could be tightened up to reduce carbon emissions by 31 per cent - if government proposals go ahead.

This means houses may need triple glazing, a waste water heat recovery system to reuse heat from the shower and sink, and better insulated walls, floors and roofs to meet regulations.

The move is part of efforts to build zero carbon homes - and York is set to support the plans.

A report produced for a council meeting says: “Before the Government introduce the Future Homes Standard in 2025, they will consult on the full technical details and the associated impact assessment with costings.

“However, they have provided an indication that they expect that an average semi-detached home built to meet the [standard] would produce 75-80 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions than one built to the 2013 requirements.”

In response to the consultation, the council has said it thinks the aim of a 75-80 per cent reduction is too low, adding: “There is seemingly a strong appetite for significant change and that this change needs to take place sooner than 2025 to slow down the rate of carbon emissions from new dwellings.”

The council is also pushing for developers to be forced to install solar panels on new buildings.

The report says: “City of York Council would like to urge the Government to move towards a compulsory requirement for [photovoltaic panels] to be installed in new buildings and renovated buildings where there are no significantly adverse implications in terms of any heritage assets.”

The guidelines would also make low-carbon heating compulsory.

The council is already planning to build more than 600 new homes to rigorously energy efficient Passivhaus standards during the next five years - as part of its own housebuilding programme. The plans are part of a bid to tackle climate change and significantly reduce fuel bills for future residents.

And it wants to urge developers working at sites across the city to follow its lead.