Energy efficiency of UK homes

This page is a short syummary of the full PDF briefing Energy efficiency of UK homes

The average energy efficiency of UK homes has steadily improved over time, but the rate of improvement slowed in the late 2010s. The latest comparable data shows that homes in Northern Ireland had the highest average energy efficiency rating, followed by Scotland and England, with the lowest average rating in Wales.

This briefing looks at data on energy efficiency levels across the nations of the UK, variations by different types of properties and households, insulation measures and government funded/mandated energy efficiency schemes.

Progress on energy efficiency in the UK

There has been faster progress on the percentage of homes with an energy efficiency rating of band C or higher. In England the share at this level increased from 12% in 2010 to 56% in 2024. The latest data shows a higher rate on this measure in Scotland and lower rates in Northern Irelands and Wales.

The government has a target that all fuel-poor homes should be at least band C by 2030 and an aspiration for as many as possible homes across the country to be at least band C by 2035.

Factors affecting energy efficiency

The factors linked most strongly to energy efficiency are a property’s age and type. Newer homes have much higher ratings, as do purpose-built flats, while older homes, converted flats and bungalows have the lowest average ratings.

Levels of insulation

At the end of 2025 an estimated 5.0 million properties in Great Britain with cavity walls had no cavity wall insulation; 23% of the total. Around 7.7 million homes with lofts (29%) had less than 125mm of loft insulation and 7.6 million homes with solid walls (89% of the total) did not have solid wall insulation.

Energy efficiency schemes

There are a wide range of different schemes across the UK to help improve the energy efficiency of homes. Most of these are targeted at lower income households living in less energy efficient properties. Some schemes are taxpayer funded, others are delivered by energy suppliers and funded through a levy on energy bills.

The Energy Efficiency Obligation (ECO) has been the main energy efficiency scheme over the last decade delivering 4.4 million measures in 2.6 million homes between 2013 and December 2025. It was funded by a levy on household energy bills, with the government setting the overall scheme targets and rules.

At Budget 2025 the government announced that funding for the scheme would end in March 2026. This effectively means a shift from a model of energy efficiency measures based on supplier obligations to one based on public funding through the Warm Homes Plan. ECO energy efficiency measures will continue until the end of 2026. The government expects that

The number of number of measures under ECO fell during the second half of the 2010s from more than 80,000 per month in early 2014 to less than 20,000 per month (on average) from mid-2016 to mid-2020.

Source: DESNZ, Household Energy Efficiency Statistics, headline release March 2026

There was, according to the regulator Ofgem, a “significant drop” in April 2014 when the government reduced part of the target for suppliers in order to help reduce energy bills.

Longer term data on shows a sharp drop in both loft and cavity wall installations carried out under government schemes in 2013 when ECO and the short-lived Green Deal replaced existing energy efficiency schemes. There was a small increase in 2014 (before the changes to ECO), but further falls afterwards and no sign of a clear increase in any of these types of insulation up to the end of 2025.

Source: DESNZ, Household Energy Efficiency Statistics, detailed report 2025, and earlier editions (Table 8.3)

Local area data

The full PDF briefing Energy efficiency of UK homes looks at energy efficiency levels and schemes in the four parts of the UK. Regional data on energy efficiency levels and the extent of different types of insulation are included in the English Housing Survey 'live tables' on energy performance (area tables).

The House of Commons Library data dashboard, Constituency data: Energy efficiency, includes headline energy efficiency data for constituencies from Energy Performance Certificates in England and Wales and Energy Company Obligations measures in Great Britain.

Further information

The following Library briefings include information on the broader subject area and on some current and past energy efficiency schemes:

• Gas and electricity prices during the ‘energy crisis’ and beyond
• Fuel poverty in the UK
• Domestic energy prices
• Help with energy bills
• Help with energy efficiency, heating and renewable energy in homes
• Green Homes Grant
• Energy Company Obligation (ECO)
• Zero Carbon Homes
• Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT)
• Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP)
• Warm Front Scheme