Monday 1 May 2023

‘Nearly 12m UK homes need energy retrofitting in five years’

To ensure that one million of England's most deprived homes become energy efficient, the UK government must pledge to invest £10 billion within the next five years.

According to SIGOMA, an association of councils in the country, approximately 56% of all dwellings in England currently possess an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower.

The Yorkshire and Humber region has a rate of 63%, while the West Midlands and the North West follow with rates of 61% and 59%, respectively.

On the other hand, in London, the proportion of dwellings with an EPC Band 'D' or below rating is 50%, and in the South East, it stands at 54%.

Analysis indicates that currently, there are 12.6 million properties in England with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower, and these properties are usually found in deprived areas.

Enhancing the energy efficiency of homes is essential to achieving the UK Government's net zero goal and alleviating the cost-of-living crisis for the most underprivileged households and communities.

SIGOMA’s Chair, Councillor Sir Stephen Houghton, said that an immediate investment of £10 billion should be made available to provide retrofitting solutions that would help to improve the efficiency of 10% of the most deprived households across England.