Millions of homes still only meet insulation standards of 1976 or earlier, potentially costing their owners hundreds of pounds in wasted energy.

This is, in essence, the findings from a study conducted by EDF, the generator of zero-carbon electricity, in partnership with property data platform Sprift.

During this study, the current levels of home insulation (including floor, roof, window and wall insulation) against building regulations across different periods to calculate the nation’s ‘Home Insulation Age’ was analysed.
Of the 21 million homes that have been analysed from properties with a valid EPC in England and Wales, it was found 13,916,843 million properties in England and Wales (55%) only meet the insulation standards of the 1976 Building Regulations or earlier.

The heat was being lost through inadequate wall cavity insulation, lack of double glazing, insufficient loft insulation and poor floor insulation; all features that modern regulations specify today.

Small improvement in the nation’s home insulation

This study also found that though there has been a small improvement in the nation’s home insulation standards over the past two years, with 18% of properties now having an insulation age of 2002 or younger compared to 8% in 2022, most of this improvement comes from newer properties, built since 2022 which are required to meet new regulatory insulation standards.

EDF commissioned research that was conducted by OnePoll among 2,000 UK Adults who own their home, rent, or live in social housing between 14th and 19th March 2024.

Cost is the main barrier

Among those involved in this study who have not upgraded their homes, 32% stated cost as the main barrier with 17% of the respondents preferring to spend their money elsewhere and 14% stating they are unsure about the type of insulation they need.

Of those who have made improvements since 2020, 76% said they did so because they had been worried about the volatility of the energy market over the past three years and the threat of price increases.

Unaware of the EPC of their home

Improving energy efficiency through insulation measures offers an opportunity to reduce household bills. However, two-thirds (61%) of respondents in this study said they were unaware of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of their home and nearly a fifth of the homeowner respondents stated they did not know the various insulation methods available to enhance energy efficiency.

The Great British Insulation Scheme and ECO schemes both help eligible customers insulate their homes and bring down their energy bills permanently. Click here to find out how Consumer-Rights.org can assist you.

Extend the benefits of GBIS

EDF is also seeking to extend the benefits of the GBIS scheme to more households by calling on the Government for improvements, such as:

• Allowing the installation of more than one measure. Currently, only one measure per home is allowed. Allowing multiple measures in homes that require them would help customers lower customers energy bills and carbon footprint, as well as reduce the costs of delivering the scheme.
• Including heating control measures e.g. room thermostats, as a secondary measure for all customer groups (currently only delivered within the ‘low-income group’). Heating controls are cost-effective to install and can bring a big benefit on bill and usage reduction for households.
• Extending the scheme eligibility to include Council Tax Band E homes in England, which would bring in scope an additional 2.4 million homes – representing an extra 10% of all homes in England. Currently, the eligibility criteria is Council Tax Bands A-D. This could open up much-needed support to customers, including those on low incomes, struggling with the cost of heating a larger home.

To find out more about ECO schemes click here to find out how Consumer-Rights.org can assist you.