Accredited official statistics

English Housing Survey 2022 to 2023: energy report

Published 18 July 2024

Applies to England

Introduction and main findings

The English Housing Survey (EHS) is a national survey of people’s housing circumstances and the condition and energy efficiency of housing in England. It is one of the longest standing government surveys and was first run in 1967. This report provides the findings from the 2022-23 survey.

Impact of COVID-19 on the English Housing Survey

Data from both the household and dwelling samples are used in this report. While the household data for 2022-23 is not impacted by the change in survey mode over COVID-19, the dwelling data is because it draws upon two combined years of data (2020-21 and 2022-23). As such, the combined 2022 datasets used in some sections of this report, use ‘hybrid’ variables that combine actual measured data from 2022-23 with a mix of observed and modelled data from 2021-22. More information on the impact of COVID-19 on the English Housing Survey and the modelling methodology can be found in Chapter 5 of the Technical Report.

This report

The focus of the report is on energy use and efficiency of English housing. It is split into four chapters. The first chapter gives an overview of the energy efficiency of the English housing stock between 2012 and 2022, before exploring energy efficiency in 2022 by dwelling and household characteristics. This chapter then looks at average annual modelled energy costs and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The second chapter focuses on the cost of improving homes that have an energy efficiency rating (EER) of band D or lower to an EER band of at least C, before examining the energy cost savings of improving a dwelling to EER band C and the associated CO2 savings.

The third chapter covers the presence of heating systems, heating controls and energy payment methods, as well as fuel cost savings. It then goes on to explore the proportion of households that work from home and their ability to keep warm. The next section looks at the presence of smart meters, as well as the actions taken by households to manage their energy bills.

Finally, the fourth chapter explores household awareness of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and their influence on respondents purchasing or moving homes. It goes on to discuss whether the EPC recommended any improvement works and whether landlords or owner occupiers carried out any suggested improvements. It details the most common work carried out and the reasons for doing so.

The data for this report was collected against a backdrop of rising energy prices and household costs. It explores the impact of the increases in cost of living for households in different tenures and highlights the characteristics that may make a household more vulnerable to these increases.

Main findings

Over the past decade, energy efficiency of English housing has continued to improve.

• The proportion of A to C rated dwellings increased from 19% of the stock in 2012 to almost half (48%) in 2022, while the proportion of the least energy efficient dwellings (E to G) decreased from 30% in 2012 to 9% 2022.

Nearly three-quarters of owner occupiers carried out improvement works on their homes in the last 5 years. The most common reasons included repairing or replacing broken equipment, making homes more energy efficient and making general improvements to the home.

• Owner occupiers were asked why they carried out energy improvement work. Their most common response was the equipment had broken down (37%), followed by wanting to make their homes more energy efficient (33%) and wanting to make some general improvements to the home (33%).
• Less common reasons for carrying out improvement works included acting on energy performance certificate recommendations (1%) and wanting to make use of available grants (3%).

Lone parents with children, households in the lowest income quintile and households including a person with a long-term illness or disability were more likely to report not being able to keep warm in winter.

• Lone parents with dependent children (25%) were more likely to report being unable to keep comfortably warm in their living room during cold weather compared with all other household types (8% to 19%).
• Households in the lowest income quintile (1st) were more likely to report being unable to keep warm (18%) compared with those in the higher quintiles (8% to 14%).
• Households with someone with a long-term illness or disability (16%) were more likely to report being unable to keep warm than their counterpart (10%).

Social renters were more likely to report falling behind on their fuel bills.

• Local authority (14%) and housing association renters (12%) were more likely to have fallen behind on their fuel bills than owner occupiers (5%) and private renters (9%).

As a response to rising energy prices, the majority of households reported reducing the number of hours they heat their home or said they would heat their home to a lower temperature. However, some households would take more extreme measures such as stop heating their homes altogether or cooking fewer hot meals.

• The most common action reported as a response to rising energy prices was reducing the number of hours the household heated their home (51%), followed closely by heating homes to a lower temperature (46%), using less electricity (42%).
• More extreme measures also mentioned were stopping heating their home (8%), limiting the number of hot meals cooked (8%) and limiting leisure activities that use electricity (8%).

Acknowledgement and further queries

Each year the English Housing Survey relies on the contributions of a large number of people and organisations. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) would particularly like to thank the following people and organisations, without whom the 2022-23 survey and this report, would not have been possible: all the households who gave up their time to take part in the survey, The National Centre for Social Research, the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and CADS Housing Surveys.

This report was produced by Emma Munkley and Jess Billingham at BRE, in collaboration with Claire Smith at MHCLG and Georgina Smalldridge at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

If you have any queries about this report, would like any further information or have suggestions for analyses you would like to see included in future EHS reports, please contact [email protected].

The responsible analyst for this report is Chauncey Glass, Housing and Planning Analysis Division, MHCLG. Contact via [email protected].

1. Energy efficiency profile

This chapter provides an overview of the energy efficiency of the English housing stock and how this has changed between 2012 and 2022. It also explores trends in energy efficiency by dwelling characteristics and concludes by outlining the energy costs and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for different dwelling types.

Trends in energy efficiency

The English Housing Survey (EHS) uses the Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP 2012) to monitor the energy efficiency of homes, through the calculation of a SAP energy efficiency rating (EER).

The EER is an index based on calculated energy costs for a standard heating regime and is expressed on a scale of 1 (highly inefficient) to 100 (highly efficient with 100 representing zero energy costs). It is possible for a dwelling to have a rating of over 100 where it produces more energy than it consumes, although such dwellings will be rare within the English housing stock.

The EER is also converted into an A to G banding system, where band A represents high energy efficiency and band G represents low energy efficiency. The EER is the primary rating presented on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

The mean SAP rating for all dwellings in England increased by 8 points over the last decade, from 59 points in 2012 to 67 points in 2022 (the equivalent of an energy efficiency rating of D), Annex Table 1.1. Reflecting this, the proportion of A to C rated dwellings increased across the decade, from 19% of the stock in 2012 to almost half (48%) in 2022, while the proportion of the least energy efficient dwellings (E to G) decreased from 30% of the stock in 2012 to 9% in 2022. There was also a decrease in the proportion of dwellings in band D, from 51% in 2012 to 43% in 2022, Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1: Energy efficiency rating bands, 2012 and 2022

^{Base: all dwellings
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 1.3
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Figure 1.2 demonstrates the transition of the individual EER bands from 2012 to 2022, highlighting the overall improvement in the energy efficiency of the English housing stock.

Figure 1.2: Energy efficiency rating bands, 2012 to 2022

^{Base: all dwellings
Notes:
1) from 2018 the SAP 2012 methodology used new U values for cavity, solid and stone walls, both insulated and uninsulated.
2) EER bands A and B are grouped. There are currently insufficient numbers of Band A properties existing for which meaningful estimates can be made through a sample survey.
3) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, EHS surveyors did not conduct any inspection of vacant properties in 2020. Although an external inspection of vacant homes occurred in 2021, the 2021 combined survey dwelling sample is for occupied properties only.
4) underlying data are presented in Annex Table
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Energy efficiency profile by tenure

There was an increase in mean SAP across all tenures over the 10-year period, with the biggest improvements to owner occupied and private rented dwellings; a 9 and 8 point increase, respectively. However, the social rented sector continued to be more energy efficient than the private sector. The average SAP of local authority dwellings increased from 64 in 2012 to 70 in 2022, and similarly, the average SAP of housing association dwellings increased from 65 in 2012 to 71 in 2022, Annex Table 1.1.

In addition, the proportion of dwellings in the highest energy efficiency bands increased across all tenures. In 2012, housing association dwellings had the highest proportion of dwellings in bands A to C (40%) while owner occupied dwellings had the lowest proportion (15%). By 2022, 72% of housing association dwellings were in bands A to C, compared with less than half of private rented (45%) and owner occupied dwellings (43%), Annex Table 1.3.

Conversely, the proportion of dwellings in the least efficient bands (E to G) decreased across all tenures. The proportion of E to G dwellings in the social sector was 3% for both local authority and housing association dwellings in 2022, decreasing from just over one in ten in 2012 (13% and 12%, respectively). There were still higher proportions of owner occupied and private rented dwellings in the lower energy efficiency bands, but the proportion decreased from around one-third of dwellings (33% of owner occupied and 34% of private rented) in 2012 to around one in ten dwellings in 2022 (10% and 12%, respectively).

Table 1.1: Profile of the most and least energy efficient dwellings, by dwelling characteristics, 2022

	A, B or C rated dwellings are most prevalent/ likely in this group		E, F or G rated dwellings are most prevalent/ likely in this group
Dwelling characteristics		# %		# %
Tenure	housing association	72	private rented	12
Dwelling age	post 1990	83	pre 1919	23
Dwelling type	purpose built flat, high rise	83	converted flat	18
Region	London	58	South West	15

^{Notes:</br< 1) these are trends and may not be statistically significant
2) percentages are within each group. For example, 72% of housing association dwellings are in EER bands A to C, while the remaining 28% are in bands D and E to G.
3) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 1.5
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Energy efficiency profile by dwelling characteristics

In 2022, the most energy efficient homes (EER bands A to C) were more likely to be newer dwellings. The majority of dwellings built after 1990 were in bands A to C (83%), whereas just one fifth (21%) of dwellings built prior to 1919 had an EER of A to C. Furthermore, the oldest dwellings in the stock were more likely to have an EER of E to G. Almost a quarter (23%) of dwellings built before 1919 were in bands E to G compared with newer dwellings (2% to 9%), Figure 1.3.

Figure 1.3: Energy efficiency rating bands, by dwelling age, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 1.5
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Purpose built high rise (83%) and purpose built low rise (72%) flats had the highest proportion of A to C rated dwellings compared with all other dwelling types (32% to 47%) while converted flats (18%) had the largest proportion of E to G rated dwellings compared to all other dwelling types (2% to 12%), apart from bungalows. Bungalows were most likely to have an EER of D (54%) compared with all other dwelling types (15% to 46%), apart from semi-detached houses, Figure 1.4.

Figure 1.4: Energy efficiency rating bands, by dwelling type, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 1.5
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Energy efficiency profile by region

Assumptions on weather conditions, including external temperatures and wind speeds, are standardised for all dwellings when modelling the EER bands under the SAP methodology. Patterns of energy efficiency by region are therefore not affected by differences in regional weather and are instead driven by differences in the physical characteristics of dwellings. The mix of tenures, dwelling types, ages of dwellings and building characteristics within each region means that it is hard to quantify the effect of region alone as a driver of energy efficiency and its improvement.

The mean SAP rating increased across all regions between 2012 and 2022, with the East Midlands and London observing the largest increases – from 57 and 60 in 2012 to 67 and 69 in 2022, respectively. Reflecting this, the proportion of dwellings in the highest energy efficiency bands (A to C) also increased, while the proportion of the least energy efficient homes (E to G) decreased across all regions. In 2012, over a quarter of dwellings (25% to 34%) across all regions were in bands E to G, whereas in 2022, the proportion of dwellings in the lowest EER bands decreased to between 4% and 15%, Annex Table 1.4.

Overall, London and the North East had a higher proportion of energy efficient dwellings compared to other regions. Over half of dwellings in London (58%) and the North East (57%) had an EER of A to C compared with dwellings in all other regions (40% to 50%). Dwellings in the South West were more likely to have an EER of E to G (15%) compared with all other regions (4% to 12%), while Yorkshire and the Humber had a higher proportion of band D dwellings (48%) compared with the South East (42%), the East of England and North East (both 39%), the South West (38%) and London (37%), Figure 1.5 and Annex Table 1.5.

Figure 1.5: Proportion of A to C rated dwellings, by region, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 1.5
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Average modelled energy costs

The energy cost for dwellings can be modelled using the SAP 2012 methodology, based on standard occupation and heating patterns to measure heating demand. These figures do not calculate the actual energy consumption of households. SAP methodology assumes that people heat their homes to a set standard, which might not be achieved in reality. In addition, regional weather data and up to date fuel prices from the SAP fuel price library are used to more accurately represent running costs and savings. More information can be found in Chapter 5 of the Technical Report.

In 2022, the average annual modelled energy use for dwellings in England was 231 kWh/m2/year, Live table DA7101, with an average energy cost of £1,434, Annex Table 1.6. Dwellings in the lower EER bands (D to G) had higher average energy costs (from £1,561 for D to £2,662 for G dwellings) compared with those in the upper EER bands A to C (£1,081), Figure 1.6.

Owner occupied (£1,599) and private rented (£1,270) dwellings had the highest average energy costs at £1,599 and £1,270 respectively, compared with local authority (£991) and housing association (£975) dwellings.

The average modelled energy cost increased with the age of the dwelling. Older dwellings built before 1944 were more likely to have higher average energy costs (£1,592 to £1,894) compared with all other dwellings (ranging from £1,074 to £1,370). Dwellings built post 1990 had the lowest average energy costs at £1,074.

Purpose built high rise flats (£819) and purpose built low rise flats (£930) had the lowest average energy costs compared to all other dwelling types (£1,093 to £1,993).

Figure 1.6: Average annual modelled cost of energy in homes, by EER band, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 1.6
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample</sup}

Average modelled CO2 emissions (tonnes/year)

It was estimated that the housing stock accounted for 100 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2022, with the average dwelling producing around 4 tonnes per year, Annex Table 1.7.

Owner occupied and private rented dwellings had higher average CO2 emissions, 4.5 and 3.4 tonnes per year, respectively, compared with local authority (2.5 tonnes per year) and housing association (2.5 tonnes per year) dwellings, Figure 1.7.

Newer dwellings, built post 1980, had lower average CO2 emissions, between 2.8 to 3.4 tonnes per year, compared with all other dwellings (3.7 to 5.7 tonnes per year). Meanwhile, purpose built flats (1.9 to 2.3 tonnes per year) had lower average CO2 emissions compared with all other dwelling types (2.9 to 6 tonnes per year).

Dwellings in the lower EER bands (D to G) were more likely to have higher average CO2 emissions per year (4.5 to 7.9 tonnes) compared with those in the higher EER bands (2.8 tonnes per year), likely reflecting findings on dwelling age as newer dwellings tend to be more energy efficient and produce less CO2 emissions.

Figure 1.7: Average annual modelled CO2 emissions, by tenure, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 1.7
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample</sup}

2. Costs to improve to an EER band C

This chapter looks at the cost of improving dwellings with an energy efficiency rating (EER) band of D or lower to an EER band of at least C, by dwelling characteristics and household characteristics. The section then goes on to examine the energy cost savings of improving a dwelling to EER band C and the associated CO2 savings.

For each dwelling identified as having an EER band of D or lower, improvement measures were simulated cumulatively using SAP as the underlying methodology. After each improvement, the SAP rating was recalculated until the dwelling reached the threshold for EER band C (SAP rating of 68.5 or higher). The following analysis covers those dwellings that were able to reach an EER band C after modelling (50%). The remaining dwellings in the stock were categorised as already having an EER band of C or higher (48%), receiving at least one improvement measure but were unable to reach EER band C (2%), or not eligible to receive any improvement measures (less than one percent), Annex Table 2.1.

In certain cases, a dwelling’s energy efficiency rating may be improved beyond the target band, where a dwelling’s energy efficiency rating is already close to the band C threshold. If a measure with a high SAP improvement yield is installed, for example cavity wall insulation, then the dwelling may be improved beyond a band C into the band B range.

The costs of the measures installed assumes prices from 2005, which have been inflated to reflect current costs. Some measures may have increased in cost since 2005, whereas others may have decreased.

If all applicable energy improvement measures were applied to all dwellings rated below an EER band C, then 96% of those dwellings would shift into an EER band of A to C, while 4% of dwellings would be unable to be improved above an EER band D, Annex Table 2.2.

Average costs of improving to EER band C

The average cost to improve dwellings to a EER band C was £7,396, with an overall estimated total cost of between £91 and £94 billion. The median cost per dwelling was slightly higher, at £8,000 to improve dwellings to band C, Annex Table 2.3.

As expected, dwellings with an EER rating of E to G had a higher average cost to improve to a band C than D rated dwellings; £13,509 compared with £6,191, Annex Table 2.4.

Average costs of improving to EER band C by tenure

Where it was possible for energy efficiency improvement measures to lift dwellings with an EER band of D to G into an EER band C or higher, private sector (both owner occupied and private rented) dwellings had a higher average cost than social sector dwellings; £7,599 compared with £5,399. Furthermore, owner occupied and private rented dwellings would cost on average £7,589 and £7,633, respectively to improve to a band C, which is higher than the £5,574 and £5,279 required to improve local authority and housing association dwellings, Annex Table 2.4.

Average costs of improving to EER band C by dwelling characteristics

The age and type of dwelling have a large influence on the energy efficiency of homes, and it is unsurprising that the cost to bring older dwellings up to a band C was higher. Dwellings built before 1919, which are more likely to be of solid wall construction, had the highest average cost to improve to a band C, at £10,664, followed by dwellings built between 1919 to 1944 (£7,086), Annex Table 2.4.

Generally, medium/large terraced houses (those with a usable floor area greater than or equal to 70m2) were more expensive to improve to a band C. Medium/large terraced houses had the highest average cost to reach band C, at £8,450, closely followed by detached dwellings (£8,284). Conversely, purpose built, low rise and purpose-built, high rise flats had the lowest average costs, at £3,957 and £3,267, respectively.

Average costs of improving to EER band C by region

The North East had the lowest average cost of £5,172 to achieve an EER rating of band C, compared with all other regions (£6,571 to £8,407), Figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1: Average cost to improve to EER band C, by region, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings able to be improved to an EER band C
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 2.4
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Average costs of improving to EER band C by household characteristics

Households where the age of the household reference person (HRP) was between 25 to 34 generally had a lower average cost to improve their dwelling to an EER band of C, at £6,354, compared with households with a HRP aged between 35 to 75 or over (£7,273 to £7,669). This may be related to the dwelling type; younger HRPs are more likely to occupy purpose built flats which are more energy efficient to begin with, Annex Table 2.5.

In addition, households in the highest income group (5th quintile) had a higher average cost to improve their home to an EER band C (£8,501) when compared with other households. This may reflect the dwelling type and dwelling age profile of those with higher incomes.

Banded cost to improve to EER band C

It would cost between £1,000 to £4,999 to improve a quarter (25%) of dwellings to a band C and around £5,000 to £9,999 to improve just under half (45%). Only about 5% of dwellings would require less than a £1,000 investment. This means that it would cost less than £10,000 per dwelling to improve three-quarters (75%) of dwellings to a band C. Finally, it would cost between £10,000 and £14,999 to improve 18% dwellings and cost more than £15,000 to improve the remaining 8% of dwellings to a band C, Figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2: Banded cost to improve to EER band C, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings able to be improved to an EER band C
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 2.6
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Dwellings with a rating of E to G (34%) were more likely to require £15,000 or more to reach an EER band of C than dwellings rated D (2%). Equally, D rated dwellings were more likely to require £1,000 to £4,999 to improve to band C (28%) than E to G rated dwellings (12%), Annex Table 2.7.

Banded cost to improve to EER band C by tenure

Overall, it would be less expensive to improve dwellings in the social rented sector and more expensive to bring private sector dwellings to a band C. Social rented dwellings were more likely to cost £9,999 or less to improve than private sector dwellings, which were more likely to require £10,000 or more to improve. In addition, dwellings in the social sector (7%) were more likely to cost less than £1,000 in comparison with private sector (5%), Annex Table 2.7.

Housing association dwellings (7%) were more likely to cost less than £1,000 to improve to band C than owner occupied (4%) dwellings. Conversely, owner occupied dwellings (8%) were more likely to cost £15,000 or more to bring up to band C than local authority (2%) and housing association (2%) dwellings. Among private rented dwellings, 6% required less than £1,000 to improve to an energy efficiency rating band of C while 7% would cost £15,000 or more.

Banded cost to improve to EER band C by dwelling characteristics

In general, improving older dwellings (built before 1919) was more expensive. Dwellings built before 1919 (16%) were more likely to cost £15,000 or more to reach an EER band of C compared with all other aged dwellings (2% to 5%). Similarly, dwellings built after 1990 (15%) were more likely to cost less than £1,000 to bring up to band C than older dwellings (2% to 10%).

Detached houses (13%) were more likely to cost £15,000 or more to reach band C than all other house types (3% to 9%), excluding purpose built flats. Furthermore, 16% of high rise, purpose built flats could be improved to band C for less than £1,000 compared with small terraced houses (3%) and semi-detached houses (2%).

In general, London (64%) was more likely to have dwellings that cost between £5,000 and £9,999 to improve to band C than other regions (37% to 46%).

Average annual energy cost savings from improving to band C

For those dwellings that were able to be improved to band C, the average energy cost savings were £280 per year, Annex Table 2.8.

Dwellings with an EER band of D had lower average energy cost savings per year at £182, compared with E to G rated dwellings, at £778.

Average annual energy cost savings by tenure

Private sector dwellings had higher average energy cost savings of £292 per year, in comparison with social sector dwellings, at £157. More specifically, owner occupied and private rented dwellings had higher energy savings (£295 and £284, respectively) than housing association and local authority dwellings (£165 and £145, respectively), Figure 2.3.

Figure 2.3: Average cost to improve to an EER band C with average energy cost savings, by tenure, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings able to be improved to an EER band C
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 2.4 and 2.8
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Average annual energy cost savings by dwelling characteristics

Dwellings built before 1919 had the highest average energy cost savings of all dwelling ages, at £417 per year, which is far greater than dwellings built after 1919, saving between £198 and £237. Further to this, detached houses had higher average savings per year at £412, compared with all other dwelling types (between £198 to £297), Annex Table 2.8.

Average annual energy cost savings by region

Dwellings in the North East had the lowest average energy cost savings of all regions at £174 per year, followed by East Midlands (£243), London (£247), Yorkshire and the Humber (£260), North West (£271), South East (£280), West Midlands (£304), East of England (£311) and the South West (£365).

Average annual energy cost savings by household characteristics

Households with a HRP aged between 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 years had lower energy savings (£228 and £245, respectively) than households where the HRP was aged between 45 or over (£281 to £305), Annex Table 2.9. This pattern is not too dissimilar from with the average cost to improve to band C among different age groups, Figure 2.4.

Figure 2.4: Average cost to improve to an EER band C with average energy savings, by age of HRP, 2022-2023

^{Base: all households in dwellings able to be improved to an EER band C
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 2.5 and 2.9
Source: English Housing Survey, household subsample}

Households in receipt of housing support had lower average energy cost savings of £195 per year, compared with those who were not in receipt of housing support, at £265, Annex Table 2.10.

Average annual carbon dioxide (CO2) savings

The average CO2 savings for all dwellings improved to at least a band C were 1.6 tonnes per year. Dwellings with a pre-improvement EER band of E to G had the largest annual average CO2 saving at 4.1 tonnes, while dwellings with an EER band of D had lower average CO2 savings, at 1.1 tonnes. Annex Table 2.11.

Average annual CO2 savings by tenure

Private sector dwellings had higher average annual CO2 savings at 1.7 tonnes, compared with social sector dwellings, at 0.9 tonnes. More specifically, owner occupied homes had the highest average CO2 savings at 1.7 tonnes per year, followed by private rented dwellings at 1.5 tonnes per year. Social rented dwellings had lower annual CO2 savings, at 0.9 tonnes for housing association dwellings and 0.8 tonnes for local authority dwellings, Figure 2.5.

Figure 2.5: Average annual CO2 savings to improve to an EER band C, by tenure, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings able to be improved to an EER band C
Notes:
1) SAP 2012 carbon emissions factors do not reflect the decarbonisation of the grid, it is not a lifetime carbon saving, nor does it include carbon savings related to primary electricity generation
2) in certain cases, a dwelling’s energy efficiency rating may be improved beyond the target band, which may overestimate carbon savings
3) SAP 2012 uses a standardised heating pattern which may overestimate actual consumption, particularly in E-G rated homes
4) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 2.4 and 2.11
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

Average annual CO2 savings by dwelling characteristics

Dwellings built before 1919 and dwellings built from 1919 to 1944 had the highest average annual CO2 savings (2.5 tonnes and 1.4 tonnes per year, respectively), compared with newer dwellings (0.8 tonnes to 1.2 tonnes per year), Annex Table 2.11.

Detached dwellings had the highest average CO2 savings per year at 2.4 tonnes, compared with all other dwelling types, which ranged from 0.7 tonnes to 1.7 tonnes.

Average annual CO2 savings by region

The North East had the lowest average CO2 savings per year at 1.0 tonnes, in comparison with all other regions, which ranged from 1.4 tonnes to 2.0 tonnes. The CO2 savings found by region compare with the energy savings found by the corresponding regions, Figure 2.6.

Figure 2.6: Average annual CO2 savings to improve to an EER band C, by region, 2022

^{Base: all dwellings able to be improved to an EER band C
Notes:
1) SAP 2012 carbon emissions factors do not reflect the decarbonisation of the grid, it is not a lifetime carbon saving, nor does it include carbon savings related to primary electricity generation
2) in certain cases, a dwelling’s energy efficiency rating may be improved beyond the target band, which may overestimate carbon savings
3) SAP 2012 uses a standardised heating pattern which may overestimate actual consumption, particularly in E-G rated homes
4) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 2.8 and 2.11
Source: English Housing Survey, dwelling sample}

3. Temperature control and energy bills

The first part of this chapter covers the presence of heating systems, heating controls and energy payment methods broken down by dwelling and household characteristics, as well as fuel cost savings. It then goes onto explore the proportion of households that work from home as well as the ability to keep warm. The next section looks at the presence of smart meters, as well as the actions taken by households as a result of rising energy bills and whether they have fallen behind on their payments.

Temperature control

Heat pumps

Heat pumps make use of heat from a source; either air, ground, or water, and have the potential to provide heating using less energy than traditional systems. Being electrically powered, they also have the potential to be low carbon if the source of that electricity is itself low carbon. Less than one percent of the stock, or 204,000 dwellings, had a heat pump for space or water heating purposes, Annex Table 3.1.

Heating systems

In 2022, around nine in ten dwellings (92%) had central heating present in their homes, while just 5% of dwellings had storage heaters and 3% of dwellings used fixed room or portable heaters, Annex Table 5.3, Headline Report.

Heating controls by dwelling characteristics

Heating controls for both non-storage and storage heating systems have been included in the analysis below. Depending on the heating system, it is likely that most dwellings had several different types of heating controls present. For a more detailed breakdown, please see the EHS 2021 to 2022 energy report.

Around 97% of private rented dwellings had heating controls, a lower proportion than both owner occupied and local authority dwellings (both 99%), Annex Table 3.2.

Small terraced houses (98%) were more likely to have heating controls present in the dwelling compared with purpose built, high rise flats and converted flats (94% and 95% respectively).

Households that regularly work from home

This section is similar to the occupancy analysis carried out in the EHS 2021 to 2022 energy report, however no comparison between the two reports can be made due to the different underlying samples used. The 2021-22 report is based on the household sub sample (paired sample), whereas the following analysis is based on the full household sample.

Households where the HRP was employed, either full-time or part-time, were asked whether anyone in their household worked from home on a regular basis. In 2022-23, over a quarter (27%) of households had someone in their household working from home four or more days a week. Additionally, 18% reported someone working from home two or three days a week, 4% responded that someone worked from home just once a week, and around 2% had someone working from home less than once a week. The remaining 49% of households reported that no one in their household worked from home, Annex Table 3.3.

Figure 3.1: Households that regularly work from home, by tenure, 2022-23

^{Base: all households with an employed HRP
Notes:
1) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 3.3
2) analysis excludes ‘don’t know’ responses
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

The proportion of owner occupiers (31%) and private renters (23%) who regularly work from home 4 days or more a week was considerably higher than both local authority (11%) and housing association (16%) renters. Households in the highest income quintile (40%) were more likely to work from home four or more days a week in comparison with all other households (12% to 29%), Figure 3.1.

Generally, couples with dependent children (32%) were more likely to work from home four or more days a week compared with other multi-person households (23%), lone parents with dependent children (18%) and one male or one female households (18% and 21% respectively).

Finally, households living in the South East (33%) were more likely to work from home four or more days a week than those in the East of England (27%), Yorkshire and the Humber (27%), West Midlands (20%), North West (20%) and the North East (15%), Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.2: Households that regularly work from home four or more days a week, by region, 2022-23

^{Base: all households with an employed HRP
Notes:
1) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 3.3
2) analysis excludes ‘don’t know’ responses
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

Ability to keep warm

Households were asked whether they were able to keep comfortably warm in their living room during cold weather. The majority of households reported being able to keep warm (86%), while 12% answered that they could not. Around one percent did not know whether they could keep warm, Annex Table 3.4.

Of those households who were unable to keep warm, local authority renters (26%) were more likely to report this compared with housing association renters (20%), private renters (18%), and owner occupiers (8%).

The ability to keep warm increased with income. Households in the lowest income quintile were more likely to report being unable to keep warm (18%) compared with those in the higher quintiles (8% to 14%).

Looking at household composition, lone parents with dependent children (25%) were more likely to report being unable to keep warm compared with all other household types (8% to 19%), Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3: Ability to keep warm, by household type, 2022-23

^{Base: all households
Notes:
1) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 3.4
2) analysis excludes ‘don’t know’ responses
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

Older people are generally more at risk from cold temperatures, and a warm home can help to prevent serious health problems. Interestingly, only 5% of households with a HRP aged 75 years or over reported being unable to keep warm compared with the younger age groups (ranging from 8% to 21%), with the highest proportion reported by households with a HRP aged 16 to 24 (21%).

Households with someone with a long-term illness or disability (16%) and those in receipt of housing support (25%) were more likely to report being unable to keep warm than their counterparts (10% and 16%, respectively).

Reasons for not being able to keep warm

Households who reported not being able to keep warm in their living room during the cold winter weather were then asked for the reason and whether this was due to cost or broken heating. Just under half (45%) of households unable to keep warm reported that it cost too much to keep the heating on, while over a quarter (26%) found that it was not possible to heat the room to a comfortable standard due to heating that was under repair or broken. Around one fifth (23%) of households said it both ‘cost too much to keep the heating on and was ‘not possible to heat the room to a comfortable standard’, Figure 3.4.

Figure 3.4: Reasons for not being able to keep warm, 2022-23

^{Base: all households who were unable to keep warm during winter
Notes:
1) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 3.5
2) analysis excludes ‘don’t know’ responses
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

While there was no significant difference between tenures in the reasons people said they couldn’t keep warm, older households where the HRP was aged 75 or over (62%) were more likely to report that it cost too much to keep the heating on compared with those aged 25 to 74 (37% to 49%), Annex Table 3.5.

Households in the lowest income quintile (1st) were more likely to find that it cost too much to keep the heating on (54%) than those with an income in the highest quintile (36%). Meanwhile, households with an income in the fourth quintile (34%) were more likely to be unable to heat their homes to a comfortable standard due to heating being under repair or broken in comparison with those in the lowest quintile (21%).

In terms of household composition, a higher proportion of households consisting of one female (53%) were unable to heat their home due to cost, compared with couples with no dependent children (40%), single male households (40%) and lone parents with dependent children (38%).

Subjective overheating

The English Housing Survey includes a subjective measure for gauging whether households feel that any part of their home gets uncomfortably hot and, if so, which parts.

Overall, around one in ten (11%) households reported their homes got uncomfortably hot. Owner occupiers (11%) were more likely to report at least part of their home got uncomfortably hot compared with private and social renters (both 9%), Annex Table 5.10, Headline Report.

In terms of dwelling type, a higher proportion of those in detached houses (14%) reported overheating in their homes, compared with households in all other dwelling types (7% to 11%). Households in newer homes were also more likely to report overheating than those in older homes as there was a higher proportion of households in homes built from 1991 onwards (12% to 13%) reporting getting uncomfortably hot compared with those living in dwellings built between 1919 to 1944 (9%).

Methods of payment for electricity and gas bills

Households were asked how they paid for their electricity and gas bills. For both electricity and gas, most households used direct debit to pay their bills (79% and 70%, respectively). Around one in ten used a pre-payment meter (10% and 8%, respectively) or paid on receipt of their bill (8% and 7%, respectively). Standing orders were only used by a small proportion of households; 1% and less than 1% for the payment electricity and gas bills, respectively. Other payment methods were also used, with 2% of households using other methods for electricity and 14% for gas, Annex Tables 3.6 and 3.8. Further breakdowns on this can be seen in the $L Affordability Report $L.

Smart meters

Smart meters are the next generation of gas and electricity meters and offer a range of new functions. For example, they can tell residents how much energy they are using in pounds and pence via an In-Home Display. Smart meters communicate directly with the energy supplier, which avoids manual meter reads and provides customers with accurate bills.

The English Housing Survey asks residents whether they have a smart meter. This section of the report is based on the resident being asked whether they have a smart meter in their home.

In 2022, over half of households reported having an electricity smart meter (53%) in their home, while 42% of households had a gas smart meter, Annex Tables 3.7 and 3.9.

Smart meters by tenure and payment methods

Owner occupiers (56%), local authority (56%) and housing association (50%) renters were more likely to have an electricity smart meter present than private renters (43%). However, local authority renters were more likely to have a gas smart meter present (47%) than private renters (32%) and housing association (39%) renters, Annex Table 3.7 and Annex Table 3.9.

Households paying for their electricity via standing order were more likely to have a smart meter present (62%) than those paying on receipt of their bill (43%) or those using alternate payment methods (28%). Households paying for gas by direct debit (49%) were more likely to have a smart meter installed, in comparison with paying on receipt of their bill (38%) or using other payment methods (4%), Figure 3.5.

Figure 3.5: Smart meter type, by payment method, 2022-23

^{Base: all households
Notes:
1) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 3.7 and 3.9
2) percentages are within each group. For example, 56% of owner occupied households mentioned having an electricity smart meter while the remaining 44% did not
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

Action due to rising energy prices

In 2021, energy prices started rising due to an increase in demand for oil and gas as economies around the world came out of lockdown, with the quarterly energy price index showing an increase by September 2021.

Given this context, households were asked what actions, if any, they took because of this. It is important to note that households could select more than one action in the list provided.

Most common actions taken due to rising energy prices

In 2022, the most common action reported in response to rising energy prices was reducing the number of hours households heat their home, with an estimated 12.4 million households (51%) taking this action. This was followed closely by heating homes to a lower temperature (46%, 11.3 million), using less electricity (42%, 10.2 million), using less gas (35%, 8.4 million), heating fewer rooms in the home (33%, 8.1 million), using less hot water (27%, 6.7 million), and using less gas/electricity for cooking (20%, 5.0 million). While less common, some more extreme measures were also mentioned as an action taken due to rising energy prices: stopping heating their home, limiting the number of hot meals cooked, limiting leisure activities that use electricity (all 8%, 1.9 million households) and stopping cooking hot food (one percent, 295,000). Around one-third (29%, 7.1 million) of households reported taking none of these actions, Figure 3.6.

Figure 3.6: Measures taken due to rising energy prices, 2022-23

^{Base: all households
Notes:
1) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 3.10
2) see Annex table 3.10 for full list of exclusions
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

There were many similarities across the household groups reporting the most common actions taken in response to rising energy prices. Generally, social renters, households in the lower income quintiles, and parents with dependent children were more likely to report taking some or all of these actions in response to rising energy prices. These are the same characteristics of households more likely to be in fuel poverty.

Households with someone with a long-term illness or disability, and households receiving housing support were also more likely to report taking most if not all actions listed above, Figure 3.7.

Figure 3.7: Measures taken due to rising energy prices, by household characteristics, 2022-23

^{Base: all households
Notes:
1) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 3.10
2) see Annex table 3.10 for full list of exclusions
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

Furthermore, those who were more likely to report cutting the number of hours they heated their homes included: renters (all 54%), households in the lower two income quintiles (53% to 55%), and households with dependent children (60% to 65%). Households with a HRP aged between 16 and 74 (47% to 59%) were also more likely than the oldest HRPs, aged 75 or over (35%), to report cutting the number of hours they heated their homes for, Annex Table 3.10.

Similarly, households in the lowest three income quintiles (46% to 51%), households with dependent children (52% to 56%) and those with an HRP aged between 25 to 74 (44% to 50%) were most likely to report heating their homes to a lower temperature.

Households who were most likely to report reducing their electricity usage included: housing association renters (46%), households in the first to fourth income quintiles (42% to 44%), households with dependent children (47% to 52%) and households with a HRP aged between 16 to 74 (40% to 48%). While owner occupiers (35%), and social renters (36% to 38%), households in the lower, first to third, income quintiles (35% to 37%), households with dependent children (40% to 45%) and households with a HRP in the middle age groups; 35 to 44 (41%) and 45 to 64 (37%) were most likely to report reducing their gas usage in response to rising energy prices.

Similar groups also reported using less hot water, including social renters (32% to 34%), households in the lowest income quintile (34%), lone parents with dependent children (37%) and households with an HRP aged 35 to 74 (26% to 32%). The same groups also reported using less gas or electricity in cooking, with the exception of those aged between 16 to 34 (14% to 16%), as opposed to older groups, being more likely to report this action.

More extreme actions taken due to rising energy prices

While less common, more extreme actions were taken due to rising energy prices, with households with vulnerable characteristics more likely to take these measures. Local authority (18%) and housing association renters (15%) were more likely to limit the number of hot meals they cook as a response to rising energy prices compared with owner occupiers (6%) and private renters (8%). Similarly, households in the lowest income quintile (13%), lone parents with children (13%), female households (11%) and those with a long-term illness or disability (11%) were more likely to limit the number of hot meals they cook compared with their counterparts.

Another extreme measure households reported in response to rising energy prices was to stop heating their home entirely. The same patterns were seen for tenure, income and long-term illness. Lone parents with dependent children (13%) were more likely to say they would stop heating their homes compared with all other households (6% to 9%), except other multi-person households. Multi-person households (12%) were also more likely to stop heating their homes compared with single male households (7%) and couples with (8%) and without children (6%), Figure 3.8.

Figure 3.8: Households that have had to stop heating their home due to rising energy prices, by household type, 2022-23

^{Base: all households
Notes:
1) underlying data are presented in Annex Table 3.10
2) see Annex table 3.10 for full list of exclusions
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

Households with a HRP aged 16 to 24 (16%) were more likely to stop heating their homes in response to rising energy costs compared with those aged 45 or over (4% to 8%).

Households that fell behind on fuel bills

Households were asked whether they were currently up to date with their fuel bills (including both electricity and gas), of which 95% reported they were, leaving 1.0 million households (just under 5%) not up to date with their bills, Annex Table 3.11.

Households that paid for their electricity and/or gas bills through direct debit, payment on receipt of bill, standing order, frequent cash payment or fixed annual bill were then asked whether they had fallen behind with their fuel bills in the 12 months prior to the survey. From this, 6% said they had fallen behind with their bills while 94% reported they had not, Annex Table 3.12.

Local authority (14%) and housing association households (12%) were more likely to have fallen behind on their fuel bills than private renters (9%) and owner occupiers (5%).

Households in the lower income quintiles, first to third, (7% to 9%) were more likely to have fallen behind on their fuel bills than those in the highest quintiles (4% to 5%).  Additionally, a higher proportion of lone parents with dependent children (14%) had fallen behind on their fuel bills than all other household types.

Households with someone with a long-term illness or disability (8%) were more likely to have fallen behind on their fuel bills than those without (5%). Similarly, households in receipt of housing support (17%) were more likely to have fallen behind on their fuel bills than those not in receipt (7%).

4. Energy Performance Certificates and energy improvement work

This chapter explores household awareness of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and their influence on respondents purchasing or moving homes. It goes on to look at whether the EPC recommended any improvement works, and whether landlords or owners carried out any suggested improvements. It also details the most common work carried out and the reasons for doing so.

A domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) provides potential buyers and tenants with an indication of the energy efficiency of a dwelling. The certificate contains information about the dwelling’s energy costs based on standardised assumptions about occupancy and energy use in dwellings of a similar size and type which may not reflect how energy is consumed by individual occupants. It also recommends ways to improve the energy efficiency of the dwelling. The requirement for dwellings to have an EPC when sold or rented was fully implemented by October 2008.

Awareness of EPCs

In the EHS interview survey for 2022-23, all households that moved into their current home on or after October 2008 (15.0 million households or 63% of all households) were asked whether they remembered seeing an EPC relating to their new home. Just under two-thirds of households (61%) who moved after the introduction of EPCs remembered seeing an EPC before moving into their home. Around a third (30%) did not remember seeing an EPC, with the remaining 9% unsure as to whether they saw one or not, Annex Tables 4.1 and 4.2.

Influence of EPCs

Overall, over a quarter of households who moved in after the introduction of EPCs claimed the EPC had an influence on the purchase of the property (28%), with the remaining 70% stating they had not been influenced and 2% not being sure either way, Annex Table 4.3.

The likelihood of households being influenced by the EPC varied by tenure. Owner occupiers (31%) were more likely to be influenced by the EPC compared with housing association (17%) and local authority (15%) renters.

Households with a HRP aged between 25 to 34 (35%) were more likely to be influenced by the EPC compared with older age bands (21% to 29%).

Those in the highest income quintile (33%) were more likely to be influenced in comparison with the first, second and fourth quintiles (24%, 26% and 26%, respectively). Finally, households in the East Midlands (35%) and London (34%) were most likely be influenced compared with households in other regions including the North West (26%), Yorkshire and the Humber (24%), the East of England (23%), South West (22%) and North East (22%).

Figure 4.1: Number of households who moved homes after 2008, remember seeing an EPC, and whether that EPC influenced their decision to buy or rent the dwelling, 2022-23

^{Base: all households
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Tables 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

Householders’ awareness of dwellings’ energy efficiency rating

Households in all tenures who had seen their EPC (61%) were asked which Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) band their current home was assessed to be in. Just under half (46%) of households knew the EPC rating of their home in contrast with just over a quarter (26%) who did not and 28% who were unsure, Annex Tables 4.2 and 4.4.

Owner occupiers and private renters were more likely to know their EPC rating compared to social renters.  Around half of owner occupiers and private renters (48% and 47% respectively) knew the EPC rating of their home, a higher proportion than local authority (34%) and housing association renters (30%), Figure 4.2.

Figure 4.2: Whether householders knew the energy efficiency rating of their home, by tenure, 2022-23

^{Base: all households who moved homes after 2008 and remember seeing an EPC
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Tables 4.4
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}                     

The younger the HRP and the higher the income, the more likely the householder was to know the EPC of their home. Households with a HRP aged 75 or over were less likely to know the EPC rating of their home (33%) in comparison with all other age bands (42% to 51%). In addition, those in the highest income quintile (58%) were most likely to know the EPC rating of their home in comparison with all other income quintiles (37% to 47%), with households in the first quintile being the least likely. 

In terms of regions, households in the North East and West Midlands (both 39%) were less likely to know the EPC rating of their home in comparison with other households including those in London (50%) and the South East (49%). Comparatively, the highest proportion of households to know their EPC rating was in the East of England (52%), Annex Table 4.4.

Homeowners’ current estimation of the energy efficiency rating of their home compared to when they moved in

Households who said they knew what EER their home was assessed as when moving in (46%) were then asked what rating they thought their home was at the time of the EHS interview survey (from band A to G).

The majority of households who reported their home to be in an EER band A to C when moving in thought that the EER had remained the same (97%), while just 3% of households thought that their home had decreased to an EER band D or lower, Annex Table 4.5. 

Around three-quarters (77%) of households that reported their homes to be in a band D when they moved in thought that the EER had remained the same, whereas around two in ten (18%) households thought that their home had improved to an EER band C or higher.

Lastly, around two-thirds (65%) of households whose homes were rated band E when they first moved in thought that their homes remained in the same EER band, while 17% thought that their home had improved to a band D, and 19% estimated that their home had improved to a band C or above.

EPC recommendations for improvement works

Households who remembered seeing their EPC were asked to report on whether it recommended any energy improvement works. It is important to note that the following analyses are based on the householders’ recollection and does not necessarily reflect the information presented on actual EPCs.

Around two in ten households (18%) were recommended improvements on their energy performance certificate. Owner occupiers (22%) were more likely to have improvement works recommended by the EPC compared with other tenures, including private renters (12%), local authority (8%) and housing association renters (5%), Annex Table 4.6.

Households where the HRP was aged between 65 to 74 (22%) or 25 to 34 (19%), were more likely to have improvement works recommended compared with those aged 75 or over (13%), Figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3: Whether the EPC recommended carrying out energy improvement works, by age of HRP, 2022-23

^{Base: all households who moved homes after 2008 and remember seeing an EPC
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Tables 4.6
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

Households in the highest income quintile (23%) were more likely to have EPC improvements works recommended compared with those in the first, second and third quintiles (13%, 12% and 18%, respectively), likely reflecting the larger proportion of households in the highest incomes living in the least energy efficient dwellings. See Chapter 1 of the EHS 2021 to 2022 energy report for more detail.

Work carried out by owner occupiers as recommended by EPCs

Owner occupiers, including shared owners, who remembered seeing an EPC with energy efficiency recommendations were asked if they or anyone in their household had carried out any of the work recommended. Of the 1.3 million applicable households, over half (57%) had acted on the improvements suggested, around 42% had not and the remaining one percent were unsure, Annex Table 4.7.

Households where the HRP was aged between 65 to 74 (69%) were more likely to have acted on any works recommended by the EPC compared to those aged 25 to 34 (46%).

Work carried out by landlords as recommended by EPCs

Renters who remembered seeing an EPC with energy efficiency recommendations (438,000 households) were asked if their landlord or freeholder had carried out any of the work recommended. Around three-quarters of households (73%) reported that their landlords had not acted on any of the improvements suggested by the EPC, while just over a quarter (27%) reported that their landlord had carried some or all of the recommendations, Annex Table 4.8.

Landlords of housing association renters (43%) and private renters (30%) were more likely to act on improvements recommended by the EPC compared with the landlords or freeholders of owner occupier leaseholders (15%).

Households in the lowest three income quintiles (28% to 53%) were also more likely to have had work recommended by the EPC carried out by their landlord than those in the highest income quintile (7%).

Single female households (52%) were more likely to have had their landlord act on EPC recommended improvements compared with couples, both with and without dependent children (22% and 18%, respectively), and single male households (21%). Landlords were also more likely to act on EPC recommendations for households in receipt of housing support (60%) than those who were not (24%).

A greater proportion of households in the West Midlands (55%) reported that the landlord had acted on EPC recommendations compared with the South East (21%), Yorkshire and the Humber (20%) and London (15%).

Energy efficiency improvement works by owner occupiers

Overall, around three-quarters of owner occupiers (72%) had installed or undertaken at least one energy efficiency measure in the last 5 years, Annex Table 4.9.

The most common improvement work undertaken was servicing of the central heating boiler, with 40% of households carrying out this job, while 32% of households reported replacing their boiler. Around 17% of households reported replacing the central heating thermostat, while 14% of households had installed a form of smart heating control, such as Nest, Hive or Tado devices, 13% mentioned installing new thermostatic radiator valves and 12% had replaced their central heating time clock or programmer.

In addition, around one in ten owner occupiers (10%) reported installing extra radiators or storage heaters in their homes, while 14% of households had replaced their existing radiators. Just 2% of households reported replacing old storage heaters, and fewer than one percent (79,000 households) replaced their old warm air heating units.

Less common improvement works included the installation of central heating or storage radiators where there had previously only been fires or heaters providing heat (5%). Just one percent of households (156,000 households) had installed a biomass boiler or wood pellet stove, and fewer than one percent of households (139,000) reported installing a heat pump in the last five years. Similarly, just one percent of households (196,000 households) changed the main fuel used for heating their homes, Figure 4.4.

Figure 4.4: Improvements done to the home in the last 5 years, 2022-23

^{Base: all owner occupiers
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 4.9
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

Owner occupiers were also asked about any improvement work carried out to their hot water systems. The most common improvement work undertaken to hot water systems was installing a replacement hot water cylinder (7%). Less commonly, 4% of owner occupiers reported removing their hot water cylinder without replacing it, 3% mentioned installing a thermostat to the hot water cylinder and 2% reported adding a fitted or thicker insulation jacket to their hot water cylinder. Fewer than one percent of owner occupiers (132,000 households) installed a hot water cylinder where there wasn’t one before, Annex Table 4.10.

In terms of insulation, around one in ten (12%) owner occupiers reported installing or adding extra loft insulation. Similarly, 5% of owner occupiers mentioned adding cavity wall insulation to their homes, while one percent of owner occupiers (207,000 households) put in solid wall insulation, and 3% added underfloor insulation. Furthermore, 3% of owner occupiers insulated the side and end walls of their homes alongside the roof of a converted loft.

Owner occupiers were also asked about any improvements to glazing, with 10% reporting replacing single glazing with double glazing, and 2% of households fitting secondary glazing.

Finally, owner occupiers were asked about any work involving renewable technology. In the last five years, just one percent of owner occupiers (231,000 households) had installed solar photovoltaic panels, while fewer than one percent had installed solar water heating (37,000 households) or joined a heat network connection or community heating scheme (36,000 households), Figure 4.5.

Figure 4.5: Improvements to hot water systems, insulation and glazing in the last 5 years, 2022-23

^{Base: all owner occupiers
Notes: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 4.10
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}

Owner occupiers were also asked why they carried out these improvement works, with the most common response being because the equipment had broken down (37%), followed by households wanting to make their homes more energy efficient (33%) and wanting to make some general improvements to the home (33%). Around a fifth of owner occupiers also mentioned wanting to reduce their energy bill (22%) and make the home feel warmer (21%) as a driving factor, Annex Table 4.11.

In addition, 14% of households reported improvements were carried out as part of a major refurbishment to the home and 14% of households mentioned specifically that they wanted to improve the actual energy efficiency rating of their home. Relatedly, one in ten owner occupiers mentioned wanting to help to global warming/climate change as a reason for carrying out improvement works to their home.

Less common reasons for carrying out improvement works included energy performance certificate recommendations (one percent, 146,000 households) and wanting to make use of available grants (3%). In addition, 13% of households reported other reasons for carrying out improvement works, Figure 4.6.

Figure 4.6: Reason for carrying out improvements, 2022-23

^{Base: all owner occupiers who carried out improvements on their home
Note: underlying data are presented in Annex Table 4.11
Source: English Housing Survey, full household sample}