The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) published a report on 9 June 2026 estimating what households with four net zero upgrades save on their bills, and what those without them continue to pay. The report puts the total saving for a typical household at almost £1,600 this year, made up of £330 from insulation upgrades and an electric heat pump, £650 from solar panels with a battery, and £600 from an electric vehicle, all supported by a specialist electricity tariff1.
For homes that had originally been at EPC band F, the worst level, with higher heating bills, the report estimates savings this year of around £1,7501. It also examines new-build homes, finding that heating a new home costs up to £460 more this year than if it had been built with better insulation and a heat pump to the standard due to be implemented in 2027. Adding the savings from solar panels and an electric vehicle, the report says the cost of not zero for a household in a new home can reach £1,700 this year1.
The report states that for each of these technologies the upfront cost is already cost-competitive or government support is available, and that upfront costs are lower when the technologies are installed at the point of construction rather than retrofitted. It says major improvements to building standards have been delayed by over a decade1.
"This report finds that a typical household is likely to save almost £1,600 this year"
The report also covers how renewables affect electricity prices. It says Contracts for Difference contribute to greater price stability and pay back to customers when wholesale prices are high, and that large wind farms cut the day-ahead wholesale price by up to a third last year compared with a scenario in which most of that wind power had instead come from gas generation1. It notes that fossil fuels also contribute to higher food prices through fertiliser and supply chain energy costs, alongside climate impacts, but says this is not quantified in the analysis1.
| Household type | Estimated saving in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Typical household with all four upgrades | Almost £1,600 |
| Home originally at EPC band F | Around £1,750 |
| New-build home, cost of not zero | Up to £1,700 |
Why it matters for households
The figures set out what the gap between an upgraded home and an unimproved one is worth in annual bill terms, and separate that gap into its parts: heating, electricity and transport. For a household weighing up how much could be saved by improving a home's energy efficiency, the report's breakdown shows the largest single component is solar with a battery at £650, followed by the electric vehicle at £600 and insulation with a heat pump at £3301. The report attributes the savings to reduced exposure to fossil fuel prices, which it says have added thousands of pounds to household bills for gas, electricity and fuels over five years of fossil fuel crises1.
For energy independence at the household level, the report's argument is that homes with these upgrades have been shielded in some way from fossil fuel prices, while those without them continue to pay what it calls the cost of not zero1. The report does not set out payback periods for individual measures, and it does not give installation costs, so the relationship between upfront spending and the annual saving is not reported. The report also does not break the savings down by nation or region, and no such breakdown has been reported.
What happens next
The report says major improvements to building standards will come into force in 2027, over 20 years since the first government consultation on zero carbon homes1. No further dated steps are given in the report.