There has been a 4% drop within the collection of electrical energy effectivity certificates (EPCs) lodged on the federal government’s enroll in extra of the primary quarter of 2024, in comparison to the yr simply earlier than. In complete there had been 453,000 EPCs lodged on this 3-month time frame, masking the 2 home and non-domestic homes.
This included 406,000 EPCs relating to home properties in England —a 1% drop on the sooner 12 months. Inside of this decide there ongoing to be a mounting amount of EPCs lodged for brand spanking new dwellings, up 3% on earlier calendar yr. On the opposite hand there was a 2% scale back in EPCs registered for present home properties, which account for a considerably greater proportion of properties and EPCs.
For new dwellings, 85% of EPCs lodged ended up introduced an A or B rating, a marginal increase (from 83%) on the equal time interval earlier 12 months. However regardless of this quarterly rise, federal authorities figures show that for the yr to the cease of March there had been 232,000 EPCs lodged for brand spanking new properties — a 6% drop on the earlier 12 month interval.
This decline within the quantity of registered EPCs arrives as Santander is contacting on the authorities to supply households with way more financial assist for energy performance updates.
The calls turning into backed by Conservative MP and chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Phillip Dunne.
Santander says examine for its ‘Tomorrow’s Homes’ report noticed that almost 50 p.c of British isles residence homeowners defined bettering upon energy effectiveness of their residence would have a signficant end result on their life. Nonetheless much more than 6 out of 10 (61%) of those surveyed will not be arranging to make enhancements inside simply the longer term two yrs, with upfront prices turning into cited as simply one of many principal boundaries.
Santander means that house owners will not be getting adequately outfitted to take on the burden of retrofitting, with virtually two thirds (64%) stating they have no idea the present EPC rating of their residence.
Signalling his assist for additional movement on this concern, Dunne stated: “This report will make some attention-grabbing recommendations on elevating recognition among the many house owners, landlords and tenants of the rewards of lowering energy costs via retrofit. The Govt has launched some incentives, these sorts of as VAT reductions on energy performance installations and the House Update Plan for grants to help help warmth pumps uptake.
“But there’s scope to do way more, to assist houses on the journey to decarbonising homes to decreased energy costs and scale back emissions.”
Santander head of sustainability Fiona Hyde suggests: “It’s clear that house owners and renters need authorities assist to be larger educated in regards to the options supplied to them.”
She provides: “The houses and flats we all know now will, within the bulk of situations, be the identical houses and flats that we’re dwelling in for generations to arrive. Failing to retrofit them is simply not another if we’re to genuinely take care of the native climate disaster and obtain the nation’s carbon emission targets.”
