How much would social housing residents save if their homes were made energy efficient?

Analysis of published EPC and English Housing Survey data to estimate the potential savings to residents from retrofitting social housing.

For the UK to meet the legally binding target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, all homes, including social homes, will need to be ‘decarbonised’ so that they emit no carbon at all. With this in mind, the government has set a target of improving all UK homes so that they meet (or surpass) the EPC C efficiency standard by 2030.

With dramatic increases to the cost of energy, and the disproportionate impact this will have on low income households, the work necessary to bring the homes of housing association residents up to EPC C is now even more urgent in order to reduce their fuel bills.

To better understand the impact of increasing energy costs and the extent to which improving the energy efficiency of homes might protect residents, we have undertaken analysis of published EPC data and information from the English Housing Survey.

Key findings

• More than half of social rent homes with Energy Performance Certificates are rated EPC A, B or C.
• Social renters in the most inefficient homes will have to spend 15.5% of their income on heating, the equivalent of nearly two months’ worth of their annual income.
• Upgrading the remaining social rent homes to EPC A, B, or C could save residents more than £700m a year in heating costs.
• This equates to an average saving of 42% or £567 per household per year.

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