Buildings are a big part of the net-zero emissions puzzle. Through the use of heating and electricity, homes and public facilities are responsible for 23% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce that, we need a modernization revolution to equip our residences with better insulation and more efficient heating systems. Unfortunately, the policies have so far met with mediocre acceptance. One new program may not be enough to sufficiently change that narrative.
The UK housing stock It is the least energy efficient in Europe, losing heat up to three times faster than homes in Western Europe. This is partly because British houses are old: 52% were built before 1965 and 20% pre-1919. Of buildings with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), a legal obligation for rented homes and those on the market, only 42% in England and Wales have a grade of C or above. The rest face another cold winter with high energy bills.