The UK has set a number of ambitious sustainability pledges and targets, which the government, businesses and individuals alike are working hard to achieve by 2030.

These targets include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% (compared to 1990 levels), generating 70% of the UK’s electricity from low-carbon sources, and installing 600,000 heat pumps in homes each year.

These sustainability targets are absolutely critical, ensuring we all do our bit to combat climate change and work towards a more sustainable future.

Naturally, a core part of these targets is making the UK’s homes more energy efficient. This represents a huge area of our energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. So, in order to successfully improve our country’s sustainability, significant efforts need to be made in improving the energy efficiency of our housing.

Keep reading to find out more about the current status of the UK’s energy efficient homes, what work still needs to be done, and the most effective ways for you to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

How energy efficient are the UK’s homes?

As it stands, the UK is continuing to make progress towards improving the energy efficiency of its homes.

In recent years, the UK government announced that the average Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating for a home in England and Wales has become band D. In 2012, this was set at band E, so improvements have been made.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done.

ONS data for 2022

• England and Wales have a median energy efficiency rating in band D. The average score in England is 67, and 65 for Wales.
• In both England and Wales, flats and maisonettes were the most energy-efficient property type. These property types achieved a rating in band C, and a median energy efficiency score of 72 in England and 73 in Wales.
• 80% of dwellings use mains gas as their main fuel source for central heating.
• In both countries, social rented dwellings had the highest median energy efficiency score.
• 15% of local authority districts achieved an energy efficiency band C or above for more than half of their dwellings.
• The lowest average energy efficiency score was in Yorkshire and The Humber (with a score of 65) and the highest was in London and the South East (with a score of 68).

Critically, the median energy efficiency score is consistently rising over time. This shows that the trend is heading in the right direction.

How many properties in the UK are energy efficient?

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are designed to outline how energy efficient a property is.

An EPC consists of a score, ranging from 0 to 100. The higher the number, the more energy efficient the property is. Then, depending on the score awarded, the property is set in a band, ranging from A to G (with A being the most energy efficient).

The energy efficiency of housing is affected by a wide range of different factors, which have an impact on the score awarded. These include:

• The property type
• The property tenure
• The age of the property
• A building’s energy features
• The building materials that were used for the property
• The property’s heating systems
• Whether or not insulation is used (and if so, the type of insulation)

The age of the property is one of the key points to consider, and it has a significant impact on the EPC rating. This is because many of the UK’s older homes were constructed without considering energy efficiency. As a result (unless they have been upgraded), they often have poor insulation, inefficient heating systems, and do not feature double or triple glazing.

In fact, the report revealed that in England and Wales, the median estimated CO2 emissions for existing homes are more than double the CO2 emissions of new dwellings.

This demonstrates that older properties are significantly less energy efficient than newer properties.

So, particularly if you have an older property, it would be well worth assessing how energy efficient your property is, and finding out how you can improve this score. Not only will this help keep your energy costs as low as possible, but it is one of the most impactful ways for you to reduce your carbon footprint.

What are the benefits of double glazing for energy efficiency?

One of the single most effective ways to improve the energy efficiency of your property is to invest in double glazing.

In fact, single glazed windows have been proven to lose heat at twice the speed of double glazed windows. So, this means that it would cost around 50% to heat a home that has single glazed windows.

Double glazing is when a window is made up of two panes of glass. These panes are separated by a small gap, which is filled with air. This gap is designed to act as a layer of insulation, reducing the amount of heat that leaves the property through the window.

As a result, it is a highly effective way to improve a property’s energy efficiency.

The energy efficiency benefits of double glazing include:

• Keeping the property warmer, with less energy
• Reducing the property’s carbon footprint
• Reducing energy bills
• Improving insulation
• Improving comfort
• Reducing condensation and moisture levels in the home

What’s more, double glazing solutions and technologies are improving all the time. These windows are getting more and more energy efficient, thanks to new developments and ongoing research.

For example, the glass used in double glazing is now often coated with a thin layer of metal oxide. This works to reflect heat back into the house, and so, reduces heat loss even further.

What are the benefits of triple glazing for energy efficiency?

Triple glazing is very similar to double glazing. But – as its name suggests – these windows use three panes of glass instead of two. These three panes are then separated by two gaps, which are filled with air.

Thanks to this additional gap and pane of glass, these windows are even more energy efficient.

• In fact, triple glazing is, on average, around 40% – 50% more thermally efficient than double glazing.

As a result, they achieve all the benefits of double glazing, but to an even higher degree.

So, although they are thicker than double glazed windows, and come at a slightly higher price point, they are an extremely effective solution for improving your home’s energy efficiency.

What are the most effective ways to make your home more energy efficient?

The UK government has introduced a wide range of policies and initiatives, in order to help make homes more energy efficient. These include grants, regulations and policies covering landlord requirements, home insulation and low-carbon heating.

Although improvements are being made all the time, the UK has a long way to go before households become energy efficient.

But, with pioneering new solutions being developed all the time, it is clear that our homes will continue to get more and more energy efficient.

If you’re looking to save on energy bills and cut your carbon footprint, the most effective ways that you can make your home more energy efficient include:

• Installing double or triple glazing to your windows
• Improving your insulation – either adding insulation to your home, or improving the quality of installation that you have installed. This includes wall, attic and floor insulation.
• Improving the sealants around your doors and windows – to ensure that there are no air leaks present
• Upgrading your heating systems
• Upgrading your cooling systems
• Upgrading to a programmable thermostat
• Installing solar panels
• Using energy-efficient lighting – such as energy-efficient LED bulbs
• Reducing your water consumption – you can do this by installing low-flow toilets and showers, for example

If you would like to find out more about how you can improve your home’s energy efficiency, or the benefits of investing in double glazing or triple glazing, the Abbey Glass team is on hand to help.