Energy Efficient Homes: The Social and Spatial Patterns of Residential Energy Efficiency in England

TL;DR

This study analyzes spatial and social variations in residential energy efficiency across England using EPC data, highlighting regional disparities, social factors, and local upgrade efforts to inform policy and improvement strategies.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of spatial and social patterns in energy efficiency across England, considering housing characteristics and local participation in upgrade programs.

Findings

Significant regional disparities in energy efficiency.

Social deprivation correlates with lower efficiency levels.

Local upgrade programs show varying levels of success.

Abstract

Poor energy efficiency of homes is a major problem with urgent environmental and social implications. Housing in the UK relies heavily on fossil fuels for energy supply and has some of the lowest energy efficiency in Europe. We explore spatial variations in energy efficiency across England using data from Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), which cover approximately half of the residential stock (14M homes between 2008-22). We examine variations between authorities after accounting for the composition of the housing stock in terms of its fixed characteristics of property type, building age and size. We explore variations in terms of geographical and social context (region, urban-rural and deprivation), which gives a picture of the scale of the challenge each faces. We also examine variations in relation to the more readily upgraded factors, such as glazing types, and in relation to local participation in improvement programmes which gives some insight into local actions or progress achieved.