The energy efficiency rating of rural homes increased in the last three years but fuel poverty gap remains, newly released energy statistics shows.
Yesterday, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs released new energy data for its Statistical Digest of Rural England. Amongst its findings, DEFRA has highlighted a higher proportion of fuel poverty in rural households and higher domestic electricity consumption in predominantly rural areas than predominantly urban ones.
In England, 590k rural households were in fuel poverty in 2023. Fuel poverty in rural areas is above average in Cumbria, Yorkshire, Durham and Lincolnshire, amongst others. Nonetheless, the proportion of rural homes with an energy efficiency rating of C or higher increased by 9% between 2021 and 2024.
Rural homes built in the last decade are just as efficient as urban homes built in the same period. Dwellings built between 1930 and 1982 in predominantly rural areas tend to register an energy efficiency rating D, whilst those built after 2012 are rating B.
Energy efficiency ratings are higher in London areas, classified as ‘urban conurbation’ areas. Tower Hamlets registered an average efficiency rating of 79 out of 100 in 2024, the highest in the country. This is followed by the City of London, at 74. Lower ratings are both seen in urban and rural areas. Pendle (62), qualified as ‘urban with city and town’, registered a low average score of 62 last year. This was followed by Bradford (63) an ‘urban conurbation’ area.
Tower Hamlets, Knowsley, and Salford top the areas with higher percentages of dwellings which register a rating of C or above. Additionally, 87% of flats and maisonettes in South Cambridgeshire, a largely rural location, register energy efficiency ratings of C or above. For semi-detached properties, this is highest in Tower Hamlets, at only 60.6%.
About this map
The map below shows statistics on energy efficiency by dwelling type and local authority in 2024. To explore detailed figures for your area, double-click on the map or click here to view the full-page version.
Geodata context
The DEFRA data on energy comes as the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced the first meeting of Great British Energy board members and as ‘Retrofit for the Future’, a climate emergency project from Fuel Poverty Action, ACORN and other organisations, prepares to launch a new campaign.
Michael Shanks, energy minister: “By unlocking homegrown clean power projects, Great British Energy will support thousands of well-paid jobs in Scotland and across the country, and deliver energy security for the British people.”
Simone Gasperin, associate fellow at IPPR: “[The government] must ensure that GB Energy can immediately focus on direct investment in fully owned clean energy projects, delivering real benefits to industrial and domestic consumers, and seeking to establish itself as a major player within the entire UK electricity sector,”