Towards Energy Efficient Homes: A Review of Retrofitting Policies in the UK

The Climate Change Act committed the UK to reduce GHG emissions by at least 80 percent in 2050. This ambitious target requires millions of homes to be retrofitted and, in response, the Government has implemented multiple retrofit policies and funding mechanisms, including supplier obligations. This study reviews retrofit policies and compares the objectives and the carbon/energy savings achieved. The review focuses specifically on the 4 iterations of the supplier obligations that have been implemented since 1994. It finds that the supplier obligations have had similar objectives and followed similar trends in the retrofit measures installed. The study further identified the benefits and challenges of the Suppliers' Obligations. The paper concludes by discussing lessons learned for the design of future policies and implementation strategies to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the UK to achieve net zero by 2050.