Faster progress needed to tackle housing energy efficiency

The Chartered Institute of Housing says that a lack of clear government strategies and insufficient financial incentives are undermining progress on decarbonisation in the residential sector.

One in five homes in the UK were built over a century ago, presenting a huge challenge in making them healthy, safe and energy efficient. The residential sector accounts for 20 per cent of the UK's total carbon emissions.

New ONS analysis shows that the age of a property is the most significant factor in determining its energy efficiency, ahead of fuel type and property type. Almost all homes built since 2012 in England and Wales have a high energy efficiency rating (EPC band C or above), compared with just 12 per cent of those built before 1900 in England, and eight per cent of homes built before 1900 in Wales.

The UK government has set a goal for fuel-poor homes in England to reach EPC C or higher by 2030, contributing to the UK-wide net zero 2050 target. Currently, only 42 per cent of homes are rated EPC C or higher. Analysis for the 2022 UK Housing Review shows that progress is not moving fast enough to achieve either long-term or short-term targets.

The government has allocated £4 billion of funding for decarbonisation of housing from 2022-25, but this is much less than the £9.2 billion promised in the Conservative election manifesto.

John Perry, senior policy adviser at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “The UK government’s levelling-up agenda will fail if too little action is taken to ensure that the six million UK homes that are over a century old meet modern requirements. Significant extra funding and a clear timetable of action is needed to achieve decarbonisation of the residential sector whilst ensuring minimum disruption to residents and support for those in fuel poverty.”