According to data analysed by the BBC, almost two thirds of all UK homes are failing to meet long-term energy efficiency targets.
12 Million Homes Below Grade C
It is said that 12 million homes fall below grade C on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) which are graded A-G, where the closer to A the more efficient the property. This means that homeowners are spending much more on energy bills and are pumping tonnes more CO2 into the atmosphere then necessary.
The government has said it needs to go “much further and faster” to improve this low efficiency in homes. Retrofit measures are needed due to the majority of homes having been built before 1990.
“Much further and faster”
What Is An EPC?
EPCs measure the efficiency of a property by how well properties are insulated, glazed or using alternative measures to reduce energy use. The closer to A means the more efficient the property which in turn means lower energy bills and a small carbon footprint. The closer to G would be the opposite, so higher energy bills and a worse carbon footprint, where C is just above average.
A target had been set by the Government to upgrade as many homes to Grade C by 2035 "where practical, cost-effective and affordable", as well as for all fuel poor households, and as many rented homes as possible, to reach the same standard by 2030.
Investment Required
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said it was investing "over £6bn" towards those upgrades and it was "also exploring how to halve the cost of retrofitting properties and investing over £320m into helping heat homes with lower carbon alternatives, such as heat networks and heat pumps".
This news comes following a recent comment from the Energy and Clean Growth minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, who claimed the Government is "absolutely committed" to exploring new support mechanisms for low-carbon heat in the UK.
In 2018, UK homes produced 65.9 million tonnes of CO2. That’s more than the emissions resulting from power stations which generate our energy supply, according to annual greenhouse gas emissions data.
The BBC's Shared Data Unit analysed the grades awarded to more than 19.6 million homes across the UK since their introduction in 2007.
Local authorities across England and Wales with the highest average CO2 emissions per household were all rural areas.
National Energy Action’s Peter Smith said there was "definitely a rural/urban split" especially in areas not connected to the gas grid.
"They tend to live in the least energy efficient housing, which tends to be older and uses fuels like LPG or solid fuels," he said.
Heat Pumps Provide Effective Cost Savings
Whether it is improving the efficiency of your property, reducing running costs or reducing your carbon footprint, heat pumps provide an effective means to do just that. Heat pumps extract the free solar energy stored in the ground or the air, and you will typically get 3-4kW of useful heat for every 1kW electricity required to do so. They can also reduce your running costs in rural off gas grid areas by as much as 70% against LPG and as much as 50% against heating oil. With an increasingly decarbonise electricity network, heat pumps are a very low carbon source of heating and would reduce the amount of CO2 emissions your property produces.