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The honest guide toUK homes.
Property archetypes, on-gas vs off-gas, EPC interpretation: what's specific to your home.
UK homes
Who this is for
For anyone who wants to understand their own house before spending on it: its age, its walls, whether it is on the gas grid, and what its EPC is really saying.
The questions these guides answer
- What does my home's age tell me about where to start?
- Does being on or off the gas grid change the right heating choice?
- What do the EPC bands actually mean?
- What does a whole-house retrofit look like, step by step?
Worth knowing first
England's 25.6 million homes fall into five broad building eras, from before 1919 (20%) to after 1990 (22%), according to the English Housing Survey for 2024. About 84% of homes in Great Britain have mains gas; around 4.8 million do not. An EPC lasts 10 years, and since 28 April 2026 you no longer need one for a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.
Reading order: beginner first
Start at the top.
05 guides
- 01
The five UK property types: what they mean for retrofit
England's homes fall into five building eras, from pre-1919 (20%) to post-1990 (22%), according to the English Housing Survey 2024. Your home's era tells you its likely walls, insulation and EPC band, and so the order to spend in.
8 min read
- 02
On-gas vs off-gas heating: the geography, the economics, the future
About 84% of homes in Great Britain have mains gas; around 4.8 million do not, with the highest shares in Inner London, the South West and the East of England. Off the grid, heat pumps usually make clearer financial sense, helped by the £9,000 grant for oil and LPG homes until 31 March 2027.
7 min read
- 03
Reading your EPC: what the bands actually mean
An EPC rates your home from A to G based on modelled energy costs, not your actual bills, and lasts 10 years. It matters most when you sell or let, since landlords must currently reach band E. Since 28 April 2026 you no longer need one for a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.
6 min read
- 04
The 1930s semi: a worked retrofit example
An illustrative worked example, not a real customer project: a typical 1930s semi taken from empty cavity walls through fabric-first measures to an air source heat pump. Fabric work cuts its heat loss by about 29%, shrinking the heat pump it needs from 7.9kW to 5.6kW, with every step and assumption shown.
10 min read
- 05
Landlord EPC rules: what the move to band C means for you
The minimum energy rating rented homes must meet today, what the government has confirmed for the future, the spending cap and exemptions, and the upgrades that usually get a home there.
8 min read
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