Evaluation of Government Actions Discouraging Housing Energy Retrofit in the UK: A Critical Review

Housing energy retrofit has become a key priority in achieving the climate goals in the UK, mainly reaching net zero by 2050. However, the poor demand for housing retrofit from the homeowners has been identified as a key problem in driving retrofit at a scale. The existing progress in housing energy retrofit in the UK is critically poor. Some of the government actions have been noted to discourage homeowners from retrofitting their houses. This study has critically evaluated the government actions and policies which can discourage housing retrofit. The study has been conducted as a critical policy review by focusing on government actions and policies under eight topics. The findings indicate that inconsistencies in government acts have discouraged homeowners from engaging in housing energy retrofit to a considerable level in some cases. The study highlights the importance of a systems approach with a strategic focus.