HEATING

the UK has a relatively old housing stock, with over a third of homes built before the Second World War. this is one reason why ours is among the least efficient housing stocks in Europe.

however, new homes added between 1990 and 2017 have been constructed to a higher thermal efficiency. progress has also been made to improve existing buildings, through measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation and double glazing. boiler technology has also improved, and there has been considerable progress in decarbonising the electricity mix. these factors mean that despite growth in the number of households, and in the number heated by fossil natural gas, absolute emissions from home heating have fallen. in per household terms, the average emissions from heating fell from 4535 to 2745 kg CO2e from 1990 to 2017.

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actions to decarbonise heating include improvements to the fabric of our homes, including insulation, draught proofing and new windows. this can reduce the rate of heat loss from the building, in turn reducing the amount of energy required to maintain a comfortable temperature.