Bringing social housing buildings to an EPC of C or above would reduce energy bills by 42 per cent to £776 a year, according to the analysis of heating cost figures from the English Housing Survey and EPC data published by the government.
The National Housing Federation said poorly insulated homes are one of the country’s “biggest environmental polluters” and have become a “major culprit” in the cost-of-living crisis.
At the moment, a family in social housing with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of D or below spends on average £1,343 a year on heating, based on the current energy price guarantee. At the same time, three-quarters of social housing residents rely on benefits and a large number of families are at risk of falling into poverty or debt because of increased energy costs.
To address this, the National Housing Federation has called on the government to release the full £3.8bn pledged by the Conservatives by 2030 to decarbonise social housing...