One home every minute will need upgrading for the 2050 EPC deadline

One home every minute will need upgrading for the 2050 EPC deadline

0:01 AM, 25th April 2025, About 4 weeks ago

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A staggering 12.8 million homes across England require energy efficiency improvements to meet the government’s ambition for all properties to achieve an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of C by 2050.

This equates to upgrading approximately one home every minute, according to a detailed study by Eurocell, a leading home improvement specialist.

Its analysis, based on EPC data from December 2024, highlights that 56% of England’s housing stock currently holds a D rating or lower.

Birmingham, Leeds and Cornwall stand out as the regions with the highest number of properties needing enhancements, such as improved insulation, modern heating systems and advanced glazing solutions.

Housing needs to be modernised

The firm’s Beth Boulton said: “It’s no secret that England has an ageing housing stock across the entirety of the market, and it needs modernising to today’s energy efficiency standards.

“But what our analysis of EPC data really shows is the full scale of the challenge ahead for the home improvement and construction industries to support the government’s targets in meeting Net Zero by 2050.”

To achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the government has mandated that homes in England and Wales must reach at least an EPC rating of C.

The private rented sector, home to 4.6 million tenants, and social housing, accommodating just over 4 million residents, face tougher regulations.

By 2030, private landlords must ensure their properties achieve an EPC rating of C, a big leap from the current minimum of E.

Councils are making efforts

Local authorities are already stepping up efforts to address the issue.

In the West Midlands, Mayor Richard Parker has introduced a £167 million fund to enhance the energy efficiency of 10,000 ageing homes.

Greater Manchester is pursuing a bold plan to retrofit properties across its boroughs, targeting net zero by 2038.

Meanwhile, Hammersmith and Fulham Council is focusing on upgrading its council housing stock to meet modern standards.

According to the Office for National Statistics, one in three adults cites cost as a barrier to investing in energy-saving upgrades.

Ms Boulton said: “As the data shows, we need a major collaborative effort to bring homes in England up to modern energy efficiency standards.

“Time will quickly tick away and with it, the challenge will only get harder to bring UK housing stock in line with 2050 Net Zero targets.”


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