Current Government Consultations - December 2025

A brief summary of current government consultations of potential interest to RSN members. This is not intended as an exhaustive list of all relevant consultations.

- Download a printable version of the Government Consultations here

Visitor levy in England – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and HM Treasury

The government is giving Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England the power to create local overnight visitor levies.

They are seeking views on the design of the new power including:

• whether Foundation Strategic Authorities should also have the power to create overnight visitor levies
• how any revenues collected should be used
• the types of accommodation that will and will not be included
• how levy rates should be calculated and the powers Strategic Authorities have to change them
• what Strategic Authorities need to do to introduce a levy and to change it?
• liability for the levy and how this will be assessed
• the administrative framework for overnight visitor levies, including options to minimise regulatory requirements
• equalities impacts?

This consultation closes on 18 February 2026.

Visitor levy in England - GOV.UK

Reforms to the statutory consultee system – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Government state: “Statutory consultees play an important role in the planning application process by providing expert advice on significant environmental, transport, safety, and heritage issues. However, local planning authorities and developers report that the statutory consultee system is not working effectively.”

This consultation seeks views on reforming the role of statutory consultees in the planning system and covers the following proposals:

• removing statutory consultee status from certain bodies
• reviewing the scope of what statutory consultees advise on
• improving performance management across existing statutory consultee bodies in the planning system

This consultation closes on 13 January 2026.

Reforms to the statutory consultee system - GOV.UK

Gas system in transition: security of supply – Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

This consultation is inviting views and supporting evidence on the government’s assessment of the priorities for gas security of supply during the transition, and the associated challenges facing the gas sector. It sets out a range of proposed policy actions that government are considering in order to protect gas security in the years ahead.

This covers:

• government understanding of the changing patterns of gas supply and demand and how they expect these to evolve during the energy transition, including the continuing need for peak-day capacity
• a three-point plan for gas security of supply

This consultation closes on 18 February 2026.

Gas system in transition: security of supply - GOV.UK

Electric vehicle charging: changes to permitted development rights – Department for Transport

Permitted development rights (PDRs) allow certain building works to be carried out without the need to submit a planning application, streamlining processes and reducing costs for property owners and developers.

The government has already made changes to PDRs to support the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints.

This consultation asks about further proposed changes to PDRs to allow for:

• multiple units of equipment housing or storage units for electric vehicle chargepoints in non-domestic, off-street car parks
• the installation of cross-pavement solutions and associated domestic chargepoints

This consultation closes on 21 January 2026.

Electric vehicle charging: changes to permitted development rights - GOV.UK

Consultation on the Introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) – HM Treasury

At Budget 2025, the government announced electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED): a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, which will take effect from April 2028. This consultation sets out further detail on how eVED will work and seeks views its design and implementation.

This consultation closes on 18 March 2026.

Consultation on the Introduction of Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) - GOV.UK

Fairer, faster redress in the energy market – Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

This consultation seeks stakeholders feedback on government proposals to ensure that consumers have access to fairer and faster redress. This includes proposals to:

• make the process quicker for consumers by reducing the window before complaints can be escalated to the Ombudsman from 8 weeks to 4 weeks (with exceptions for complex cases) and reducing the time that the Ombudsman has to consider complaints to 4 weeks
• explore how to make referral more automatic to reduce the burden on consumers, including advanced signposting, automatic onboarding of consumer details and proactive outreach
• give the Ombudsman an explicit power to require suppliers to compensate consumers where a ruling has not been implemented on time
• strengthen the standing of the Energy Ombudsman by designating it in legislation and giving statutory weight to Ombudsman decisions by placing an explicit obligation on suppliers to implement Ombudsman ruling.

This consultation closes on 4 December 2025.

Fairer, faster redress in the energy market - GOV.UK

Water Efficiency Standards: a review of Building Regulations 2010 Part G2 – Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Government is seeking views on revising the Water Efficiency Standards in the Building Regulations 2010 for new homes.

It includes an option to revise the: 

• Water Efficiency Standard in new homes from 125 litres per person per day to 105 litres per person per day
• Optional Technical Standard from 110 litres per person per day to 100 litres per person per day

This consultation closes on 16 December 2025.

Water Efficiency Standards: a review of Building Regulations 2010 Part G2 - GOV.UK