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.