In winter, there is a lot to think about with respect to your home, but it is easy to see why so many people are interested in heating and energy.
At Williams of Petersfield, we are interested in the increasing focus on energy efficiency for homes, and we believe this is something that will become more prominent in the property market.
South East performing well with respect to energy efficiency
The South East of England ranked joint-second in the list of Median energy efficiency score for English regions and Wales, up to March 2021. This was with a score of 67, which was only bettered by London.
According to Government figures, “The median energy efficiency score for dwellings in England was 66 and 64 in Wales for all records up to March 2021, which is equivalent to band D.” This information was taken from the Government’s website: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/energyefficiencyofhousinginenglandandwales/2021
What makes a property energy efficient?
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) lists the most significant factors for a property’s energy efficiency are:
- The age of the property
- The type of fuel used in the property
- The property type
It shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that homes built since 2012 in England and Wales are likely to be far more energy efficient compared to older property.
These homes are commonly classed as having the highest energy efficiency rating, while just 12% of assessed homes which were built before 1900 in England hold this classification.
Only 42% of assessed property in England holds an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of at least a C. This means close to 60% of all assessed homes will fall below the expected standard, which is a huge concern for the lettings sector.
What do the experts say?
Propertymark’s policy and campaigns manager Timothy Douglas says: “The UK government must take these findings seriously and understand the huge challenge that many landlords face to upgrade property which introduces a real risk of many exiting the sector. To navigate this, they must provide funding and support based on much broader considerations.”
The ONS says: “Controlling for other factors, the age of a dwelling has the biggest impact on its energy efficiency, with newer homes much more likely than older homes to have an EPC rating of C or above. To understand the biggest influences on a home’s energy efficiency, we have used a logistic regression model to assess the impact of different characteristics in isolation (or controlling for other variables). The data used in this analysis only covers homes for which an EPC exists, and therefore doesn’t reflect the entire housing stock.”
The ONS also said; “Newer homes are the most likely to be energy efficient. Almost all dwellings in England and Wales built since 2012 have an EPC rating of C or above, and as such the odds of a house of this age having a high rating are extremely high compared with houses built earlier. Homes built before 1900 were the least likely to have a high efficiency rating.”
Contact Williams of Petersfield for all your 2022 housing market needs
At Williams of Petersfield, we aim to support the Petersfield community as much as we can, and we know this is an extremely trying time. A lot of people are looking for support and guidance, and if you have any property or housing related questions, we are more than happy to assist you, so contact us today.