Committee publication · Correspondence · 12 November 2025
Letter from the National Housing Federation to the Chair dated 4 November 2025 following up oral evidence given before the Committee on 14 October
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Inquiry: Housing Conditions in England
Summary
The National Housing Federation writes to follow up on oral evidence to the HCLG Committee regarding housing conditions and energy efficiency standards. The letter reports that over 72% of housing association homes already meet Energy Performance Certificate C or better—higher than any other tenure—and outlines the sector's progress on wall insulation, heating systems, and heat networks. However, it identifies that upgrading the remaining 713,000 homes to EPC C by 2030 will cost £4.5bn and require increasing retrofit pace from 58,000 to 100,000 homes annually, requesting government clarity on metrics, affordability assurances, and long-term decarbonisation funding.
Key findings
- Over 72% of housing association homes already rated at EPC C or better, highest of all tenures; housing associations upgraded 578,000 homes to EPC C or above in the decade preceding 2023.
- Housing associations have insulated 79.7% of cavity walls and 28.2% of solid walls, significantly outperforming national averages of 71.6% and 12% respectively.
- The sector operates 91.1% of homes with central heating and 79.6% with condensing boilers; 181,000 homes (7% of housing association stock) supplied by heat networks, representing over a quarter of all heat network homes in England.
- Upgrading remaining 713,000 homes to EPC C estimated at £4.5bn; retrofit pace must increase from 58,000 to 100,000 homes per year to meet 2030 target.
- Federation supports 2030 EPC C target under current metrics subject to £10,000 cost cap and exemptions, but warns against setting 2030 MEES target based on unconfirmed new metrics due to risk of disruption and costs.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
National Housing Federation, Florence Eshalomi MP, Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, Alistair Smyth, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Notable line
“Over 72% of housing association homes are already rated at Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or better, higher than any other tenure in England.”
Key Quotes
“Over 72% of housing association homes are already rated at Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or better, higher than any other tenure in England.”
“Upgrading the remaining 713,000 homes to EPC C is estimated to cost £4.5bn, and to do so by 2030 the pace of retrofit must increase from 58,000 to 100,000 homes per year.”
“We support the ambition to reach EPC C under current metrics by 2030, subject to a £10,000 cost cap and appropriate exemptions.”
“… we caution against setting a 2030 MEES target based on unconfirmed new metrics, which risks disruption, increased costs, and reduced new supply.”
“Government investment in the first Decent Homes Programme was crucial to its success. Further investment now from the government in the sector's existing homes would better enable social landlords to both successfully implement the revised Decent Homes Standard and support the government …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗