The Household Energy Efficiency Statistics typically refer to data collected and analysed to understand the energy efficiency of homes. These statistics are crucial for assessing the impact of various energy efficiency measures and policies. They also include information on a wide range of topics related to energy use and conservation in households.

Key aspects

• Energy Efficiency Measures: Data on the types and numbers of energy efficiency measures installed in homes. This can include insulation, heating systems, double glazing, and renewable energy technologies (like solar panels).
• Energy Consumption: Statistics on how much energy is consumed by households, often broken down by type (electricity, gas, etc.), and how this consumption changes over time or with the implementation of energy efficiency measures.
• Energy Savings: Estimates of the amount of energy saved due to energy efficiency measures. This can include reductions in energy use and associated cost savings for households.
• Carbon Emissions: Data on the reduction in carbon emissions resulting from improved energy efficiency in homes. This is important for assessing the impact of energy efficiency on climate change mitigation efforts.
• Programme Performance: In the context of government or utility-sponsored programmes (like the Energy Company Obligation), these statistics can include details on the number of homes improved, the types of measures installed, and the geographical distribution of these improvements.
• Household Characteristics: Information about the types of homes benefiting from energy efficiency measures, such as age, type, and location of the property, as well as the socio-economic characteristics of the households.
• Policy Impact Assessment: Analysis of how energy efficiency policies and programmes (like ECO) are performing in terms of reaching targets, cost-effectiveness, and impact on energy poverty.

Summary of the January 2024 release

Energy Efficiency Measures, Households, and Carbon Savings

Energy Efficiency Measures:

• Approximately 3.8 million energy efficiency measures were installed in about 2.5 million properties through ECO and under the Green Deal Framework by the end of September 2023. Out of these, 97% (about 3.7 million measures) were delivered through ECO.
• From April 2022 to September 2023, 243,000 ECO measures were installed. In Q3 2023, there was a 21% increase compared to Q2 2023. About 69,800 measures were installed in around 12,800 households.
• A large spike in measures was observed on 30th June 2022, the last day for completing paperwork on ECO3 Interim, with about 2,000 measures installed. Following this, ECO4 daily completions started low but gradually picked up.

Households:

• Around 3.8 million measures were installed in approximately 2.5 million households under ECO as of November 2023.
• Since the closure of ECO3, around 319,800 measures have been delivered, averaging about 16,000 measures per month.
• Of the ECO4 measures installed up to November 2023, 69% were heating measures, with various distributions across different types of insulation and heating methods.
• Around 2.76 million measures were delivered in approximately 1.6 million low-income and vulnerable households, or households in specified areas of low income, by the end of November 2023.
• Approximately one-fifth of ECO measures were in the North West, the highest in any region, and 9% of all households in Great Britain had an ECO measure installed by the end of September 2023.

Carbon Savings:

• The provisional estimated lifetime carbon savings of measures installed by the end of March 2022 under ECO, Cashback, GDHIF, and GD Plans was up to 60 MtCO2. The estimated lifetime energy savings were up to 224,400 GWh.
• About 1.96 million Affordable Warmth ECO measures installed by the end of March 2022 are estimated to deliver £19.26 billion worth of notional lifetime bill savings.
• Under the Flexible Eligibility aspect of ECO3, 201,600 measures delivered an estimated £1.62 billion in lifetime bill savings. Under ECO4, this aspect was expanded, allowing up to 50% of the obligation to be delivered through this mechanism.

ECO Costs:

• The total ECO delivery costs up to the end of September 2023 were approximately £6.85 billion, with an additional £564 million in administrative costs, summing up to £7.42 billion.
• For ECO4, the delivery costs up to September 2023 were £1.23 billion, with £50.4 million in administrative costs. The cost pattern under ECO4 has risen faster than the pattern of delivery.

Green Deal Plans:

• As of October 2023, there were 13,867 ‘live’ or ‘completed’ Green Deal Plans in unique homes. 67% of all plans are also classed as ‘live’. Over the last three months, 90 plans were completed, showing ongoing activity in the Green Deal initiative.

One point of order that is easily observable is the current focus on the installation of energy-efficient heating. Of all the ECO4 measures installed up to the end of November 2023, 69% were heating measures. This indicates a push to treat heating first and insulation second. The transition to Air Source Heat Pumps in the UK has been markedly slower than in Europe.

Source: Household Energy Efficiency Statistics, headline release January 2024