New figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) highlight a lack of substantial progress in the effort to enhance the energy efficiency of homes in England and Wales.

The data suggests a slowdown in the adoption of heat pumps and insulation, posing challenges to the UK’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, according to the Social Market Foundation (SMF).

The statistics show that the majority (68%) of new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) registrations in England still rely on mains gas for heating, with only 12% using electricity for this purpose.

Furthermore, although there has been a reduction in the energy efficiency gap between properties in the private rented sector and social housing, this is primarily because the median efficiency rating for social housing has remained unchanged since the previous year.

Analysis of the ONS figures by the think tank also reveals a decline in the percentage of new homes utilizing renewable energy, including heat pumps, for central heating.

This figure has dropped from 0.2% last year to 0.17% this year, despite the government’s objective of installing 600,000 heat pumps annually.