Decarbonising the UK economy to meet the Government’s world-leading Net Zero greenhouse gas commitment by 2050, represents both an unprecedented challenge and an unrivalled opportunity for innovation and investment. The imperative of net zero emissions, as attested by the latest science and now set out in legislation, will require the continued transition of the power sector and also the rapid decarbonisation of manufacturing, transport, agriculture and buildings.

The Technical Innovation Fund has been groundbreaking because it enabled us to get an insight into how many new technologies can help households in vulnerable situations to reduce their energy bills and improve the comfort of their homes.

NEA commissioned this report to help stimulate debate on the policy options we must consider as we seek to decarbonise heat alongside delivering fuel poverty strategies across the UK. It helpfully draws out some of the tensions and challenges we face in changing the way in which we heat our homes, and the authors help us to consider the cost implications and distributional impacts of different funding mechanisms.

This briefing compares the state of the UK housing stock and fuel poverty levels with 15 other European countries. It concludes that no other country of the 16 assessed performed as poorly overall as the UK across the range of indicators. The UK has among the highest rates of fuel poverty and one of the most energy inefficient housing stocks in Europe.