New build homes in the UK are now consistently hitting higher energy performance ratings, according to new data released by the Government.
As the UK gears up to hit its net zero goal by 2050, new build houses are finally catching up to modern standards on energy performance. The latest statistics released by the Government revealed that 84% of new build homes delivered in England between October and December 2020 achieved an A or B EPC rating.
That represents a 5% rise for new build homes in England, showcasing an industry that is keen to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. This isn’t all too surprising, considering energy efficiency is a key priority, with 89% of homeowners regarding it as the most important home improvement.
Despite England’s improvement, Wales managed to deliver even more homes with an A or B EPC rating during the same period, with 87% of new build homes achieving high marks for energy efficiency.
Unfortunately, despite the increase in energy efficiency in both countries, most new build houses were still only achieving an EPC rating of B. The statistics show that just 2% of new homes in England achieved the top rating, while in Wales the figure was 4%. That means there’s still a long way to go if we’re going to improve the UK’s new build housing stock.
Existing homes drag down England and Wales’ overall EPC rating
England and Wales may be achieving higher energy efficiency with new build housing, but when the market is looked at as a whole, most houses still average an EPC rating of C or D. In fact, in England 80% of homes achieved that rating, while 78% of homes achieved the same rating in Wales.
The UK Government isn’t doing much to spur an improvement in energy efficiency in existing homes either, with it having recently scrapped the Green Homes Grant scheme. Of course, there are calls for the Government to do more, including a recent report from the Environmental Audit Select Committee which suggested scrapping of VAT on energy efficiency improvements, alongside other policies that could spur investment in the green sector.
