The UK has the least energy efficient housing stock in Europe. It is estimated that more than 3,000 people die every year due to the cold, unable to afford warm homes. Heating our homes is also a major source of carbon emissions.
To meet its climate targets, the UK has an ambition to retrofit all homes to EPC band C standard by 2035. But only 29 per cent of homes today meet this standard, and the UK’s current policy approach is nowhere near ambitious enough to tackle the remaining 71 per cent.
A new approach to retrofit known as Energiesprong (energy leap) could provide the transformation needed in the domestic buildings sector. This ‘wholehouse’ model of retrofit creates a net zero energy home in one step using new technology. It has the potential to almost eliminate the carbon emissions of 41 per cent of UK housing stock, at the same time as providing warm, comfortable homes for many more people.
