What does the future of home energy use look like?

The long-term vision for new UK homes will be insulated buildings with low-carbon devices and energy generation and storage that are all controlled as one smart system working in unison.

What is the home energy efficiency situation in the United Kingdom currently?

According to the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the United Kingdom's housing stock is the oldest in Europe (and possibly the world), and as of 2025, there are an estimated 29 million households. This is a concern, considering that in 2022 the Office for National Statistics has shown that the age of the property is the biggest single factor for energy efficiency of homes.

Many houses in the United Kingdom are older buildings. Roughly 20% of English homes were built before 1919, roughly 46% were built between 1930 and 1982, and roughly 24% were built after 1980. This means that around two-thirds of houses in England are fifty years old or older, with many over one hundred years old.

Wales has the oldest homes, with over 26% of Welsh homes being one hundred years old or more; this is from the substantial proportion of terraced housing built during the industrial revolution as homes for coal miners.

Northern Ireland has the most modern homes, with 40% being built after 1981 and has a larger proportion of bungalows. In Scotland, flats were built as housing for low-income workers, not terraces.

This shows that each region has a different proportion of building types and ages, which each require a different way to manage to improve their energy efficiency. For example, bungalows typically have larger roof space, so solar panels may be a better choice in Northern Ireland than in Scotland, where flats would have to share roof space.

The recently launched plug-in solar panels may be useful if suitably sturdy roof or balcony space is available; however, there are strict rules for where and how these can be placed, so installation must be carefully considered before purchase.

It is also a legal requirement for properties to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). An EPC evaluates and scores the energy efficiency of a property, and scores it from A to G, with A being most efficient to G as least efficient. This allows you to understand and identify ways to improve a property or home's efficiency.

An EPC is required for newly built properties, when selling a property, or when renting out a property. When renting out a property, it must meet the current EPC standard in England and Wales, which is E or above. This is due to become C or above within the next few years and will mean that landlords must make energy efficiency improvements to their properties if they do not meet this new standard.

While there are a few exemptions, for the most part the government uses EPCs to track and improve the standard of property and home energy efficiency across the UK. So, what are some of the main technologies that will help to achieve improved energy efficiency?

Ways to improve energy efficiency

Heat Pumps

Heat Pumps are a newer technology that move existing heat from outside and into homes and buildings. This movement of heat is far more efficient than traditional combustion boilers. The electric energy used by a heat pump can create several times more heat energy than it uses, whereas a boiler typically uses one unit of gas or oil to generate one unit of heat energy.

Heat pumps come in two main types:

Ground-source heat pumps are usually the most efficient, but they require a more extensive setup and a complex and large installation

Air-source heat pumps are less expensive and easier to install as they require less space.

Both types work best if homes are set up to work with them. Heat pumps are more efficient in properties designed or modified to reduce draughts, use underfloor heating, or have improved insulation.

There are many schemes and grants available for homeowners and landlords that are looking to invest in their homes and properties, and there are several that incentivise heat pumps.

Solar Panels

Solar photovoltaics (PV) or solar panels are a large sheet of solar cells that generate electricity when sunlight hits them. This electrical current can be converted and then used as mains electricity. The technology has become cheaper and more efficient, becoming a viable option for homes in the UK. These include:

• Bifacial panels that are reactive on both sides of the panel. This means that sunlight can be reflected onto the reverse side from nearby surfaces.
• Multi-junction technology, which uses multiple layers of material to trap a wider spectrum of sunlight and create higher energy outputs.
• Advanced cell types which allow for higher efficiencies, specifically 24% and above.
• As noted above, plug-in solar panels might be an option for some properties that meet the criteria.

Just like heat pumps, the government's Warm Homes Plan includes multiple options for people who want to use PV panels but are unable to afford it. You can read more about this in our blog.

Smart Controls (Like HeatingSave)

Smart Controls like HeatingSave' Building Energy Management System are another of the most important components to creating a more energy-efficient property. These controls are used to manage the entire system. By monitoring multiple variables, HeatingSave (and other Building Management Systems like it) can better control when appliances, lights, heating, cooling and other systems are used. Zonal control can also allow different rooms to react to different usage patterns and optimise all the other parts of a smart home, reducing energy usage. In fact, one of the best ways currently to improve your existing central heating system is to control it better.

Homes of the future will likely require a dedicated unit or system to correctly orchestrate multiple energy inputs and outputs, timing high energy outputs to time slots with the cheapest energy inputs.

Electrical and Thermal Energy Storage

Energy storage works by collecting and storing energy when it is plentiful. This energy can then be used later when it is required. There are two main energy storage types that would be applicable as part of an energy-efficient home:

Thermal Storage — heat is generated at optimal times by systems in the home, such as at night, or when some energy companies offer greener or cheaper tariffs. This heat is then stored, usually as heated water in heavily insulated water cylinder storage containers, designed to reduce as much heat loss as possible. When the heat is required, it can then be used without using more energy to heat it up, which may be during a higher energy cost period. Heat batteries are a newer type of thermal storage that use materials that change from solid to liquid when absorbing heat. They are usually smaller than water cylinders and are more efficient at reducing heat loss.

Electrical Storage — battery storage takes excess electricity and stores it for later. This energy could be taken from the national grid during off-peak and cheaper times, or from electricity generated at the home from sources like solar panels. This energy is then stored in the battery until it is needed later.

Heat Networks

Heat networks are a communal form of heating that provide heating to multiple homes or buildings from a centralized heat source. These types of system can be hugely beneficial to residents as they can offer reliable and discounted energy, delivered by higher grade equipment with dedicated maintenance staff. Heat networks can often be implemented by integrating with an existing or secondary power source. This might be a small geothermal source that is too small for large scale use, waste heat recovery systems that siphon and re-use excess energy from other industries, or energy-from-waste plants which incinerates refuse, creating heat energy.

When heat is generated, it is transported and shared directly to properties. Some systems also implement low-temperature and ambient loop networks. These work by sending heat at lower temperatures which is then heated at the property if it needs it. These methods help to reduce any heat loss that occurs during transportation to the home, known as distribution loss. Blocks of flats and other densely packed properties can benefit from heat networks because everyone nearby can benefit, and the distances any heat needs to be moved is relatively small.

Passive Changes to improve home energy use

Some of the technologies that will help to make the home of the future more energy efficient are improvements that don't require activation or changes by the occupier. Better home designs such as airtight and double-glazed windows or improved insulation thickness and coverage can improve efficiency before any electrical technology is even switched on. Air conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems can also be useful in preventing warm air from becoming stale or lost, while still working with other systems to keep things comfortable. This air control can also work with heat pumps and other sources of warm air to move conditioned air to where it needs to be without the requiring multiple heating sources in different rooms.

Challenges for the future of home energy use

There are several challenges associated with modernizing and improving energy efficiency in homes, such as the age of existing housing stock, the need for funding, and relevant skilled installers and qualified advisors.

With the large assortment of technologies, appliances, and standards available, it can prove an administrative problem to make sure all the people involved with the process are aware of what they can and cannot do. Property construction companies need to have the correct paperwork to ensure they're meeting all the legal requirements, as well as leaving enough space for energy-saving technologies such as ground source heat pumps.

Similarly, construction employees need to know the best ways to install and arrange these recent technologies to make sure they are as efficient as they can be and meet appropriate standards and guidance. This requires skills and training.

Energy advisors and assessors will also be important to people looking to improve their homes, by knowing what funding might be available, or what changes need to be made. Finally, this all needs to be achieved and scaled to meet national demand.

Older buildings can often have a slew of problems or strict requirements to overcome when trying to make them more energy efficient. When these older homes were designed and built, they were created with technology they had available at the time. For example, much of the older stock from before 1919 would have been designed around a fireplace heating the house. They had larger, single-glazed windows to allow a draught for the fire, and had solid walls made from brick or stone, unlike more modern buildings which have wall cavities which can be filled with insulation. Homes like these are harder to modernize due to their age and the different construction methods used. You can read a lot more about them in our blog here.

The future of home energy use

The increasing use of AI to attempt to solve such large issues has already been given attention by the UK Government with the establishment of The Manchester Prize, which has included among its finalists innovations for improving energy-efficiency in different ways, including a method to map heat loss across whole neighbourhoods.

However, no matter the improvements and innovations made in future, the technology to make UK homes carbon neutral is already possible. However, it relies on better education and awareness to get existing homes upgraded. With the many incentives available, and the new standards that all new homes must adhere to, it seems likely that the homes of the future will be able to operate at a net-zero carbon cost, with advanced connectivity, and smart management systems. They will be able to effectively manage the optimal times to store heat or use it to warm the home, cut energy wastage with smart occupancy detection, and most importantly, keep temperatures comfortable for occupants without causing huge energy bills.

With HeatingSave, you can get some of these benefits now, without needing to upgrade your existing central heating system. Speak to us today to arrange a demo and learn more!