Top five key findings from English Housing Survey; Energy
Energy efficiency of homes has improved but comes at a cost
2 minutes to read
After dissecting the latest English Housing Survey, we take a deep dive into the energy efficiency of the English housing stock 2019-2020.
1. Making strides
The energy efficiency of English homes has improved in the last decade.
The proportion of dwellings in the highest energy efficiency rating bands of A to C, increased from 12% in 2009 to 40% in 2019, 47% were in band D (44% in 2009), 10% in band E (32% in 2009) and 3% in bands F or G (12% in 2009).
Domestic heating will play a big part in reducing overall carbon emissions as part of achieving net zero by 2050.
2. Traditional systems
Traditional heating systems were most common in English Homes.
Most (90%) of English homes have a boiler system with radiators as their main heating system. Such systems were more prevalent in owner occupied dwellings (94%) than local authority (89%), private rented (83%) and housing association (83%) dwellings.
However, more recent technology such as heat pumps are still being utilised within dwellings, with 103,000 having a heat pump in 2019. Heat pumps have the potential to provide heating using less energy than traditional methods.
3. A divided country
Between 2009 and 2019, the energy efficiency of homes improved in all regions at different rates.
The South East had the largest percentage point increase (32) of A to C rated dwellings, from 13% in 2009 to 45% in 2019. Dwellings in the East Midlands had the largest fall (12 percentage points) in the proportion of F and G rated dwellings over the 10-year period (from 15% to 3%).
4. All adds up
Improving dwellings to a band C energy efficiency rating came at a cost.
Overall, it would cost less than £10,000 to improve over two thirds of dwellings (69%) to a band C, and about £15,000 or more to improve 11% of dwellings.
However, the fuel cost savings are significant. For those dwellings that were able to be improved to an energy efficiency rating band C, the average fuel cost savings were £298 per year.
Owner occupied dwellings had the highest average fuel cost saving at £324, followed by private rented dwellings, at £279. The average fuel cost savings for local authority and housing association dwellings were lower, at £162 and £167 respectively.
5. Let it breathe
In 2019, around 2% or 455,000 dwellings had serious damp problems.
Indoor air quality has been a prominent subject recently and adequate ventilation is a key component in providing good indoor air quality and preventing damp.
Dwellings with inadequate room or appliance ventilation (14%) were markedly more likely to experience serious damp problems than those with adequate ventilation (2%).
Read more about environmental as well as social and governance issues that are shaping the property market here.
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