An increasing number of local authorities and housing associations are delivering Passivhaus homes in the UK. Of the UK’s 382 councils (comprising 317 councils in England, 22 unitary authorities in Wales, 32 in Scotland and 11 in Northern Ireland), 119 of them have delivered Passivhaus dwellings, as have a large number of housing associations. The picture across London is also promising, with 16 of the 32 boroughs (50%) having completed Passivhaus projects, and some on a large scale. The percentage of social housing built to Passivhaus standards has increased from an estimated 10.8% in 2021 to 31.15% in 2024, and this trend looks set to continue in the absence of any alternative energy efficient standard. The UK however, particularly England, still lingers behind much of Europe in the adoption of Passivhaus. While Passivhaus interest is growing, it has not yet reached the same level of widespread adoption as in countries like Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Social housing is a much more acceptable model in continental Europe than in the UK, with homes being built to exacting standards for the local population. However, in the UK rented homes are becoming more energy efficient than private rented and owner-occupied properties. Those renting in England and living in a traditional built dwelling spend an estimated 20% of their income on heating, compared to a Passivhaus property which could reduce residents’ energy consumption by up to 90%. The initial cost of building Passivhaus compared to traditional construction can vary and has shown to reduce once a procurement route has been established. While some organisations have demonstrated in business cases how future benefits outweigh this cost, and that Passivhaus can be built at the same cost as traditional construction. Many local authorities are now incorporating Passivhaus into Local Plans and the Scottish Parliament Assembly plans to implement a Passivhaus-equivalent standard in early 2026, becoming mandatory in 2028. Those authorities not engaging with Passivhaus now are certain to fall behind in the years to come.
There seems to be minimal interest in the Passivhaus model from the UK central government, perhaps illustrated in the low requirement of the National Building Regulations, while local councils and housing associations are recognising the benefit of adopting Passivhaus standards, which exceed these regulations. This lack of policy incentive in pursuit of a higher standard of energy efficiency is slowing conversion to building better homes.
Newer dwellings do tend to be more energy efficient, but this is primarily due to improvements in airtight construction, however the majority of these still demonstrate low efficiency and consequently leave thousands of residents with higher energy demand and bills. With higher energy costs in the UK compared to the rest of Europe, a significant proportion of the population are unable to comfortably heat their homes and many live in fuel poverty. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), which standardise a measure of a building energy efficiency, are not entirely accurate and studies have shown discrepancies between the rating and actual energy consumption. There is also an energy performance gap while using the government approved Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculations (changing to the Home Energy Model in 2025), which currently can not be relied upon to predict energy efficiency.
The case for Passivhaus in social housing is compelling, particularly given the high level of fuel poverty in the UK, and current challenges of how the government evaluates energy. The fact that over 100 organisations have successfully delivered super energy efficient homes, despite the challenges, demonstrates that it is a viable option for social housing. Further education and incentive are required if we are to increase the number of highly energy efficient social homes available for the growing population. There are also an estimated 1600 social housing associations in the UK, although the number building Passivhaus has not been determined, the Passivhaus Trust estimates 1% of all UK new housing to have been built to their standard.
It is hoped increased public awareness that zero-bills housing are possible will push the government and house builders to achieve better standards, which also offer health and comfort benefits, as well as reducing environmental impact. The benefits of building to the Passivhaus standard for social housing, or an equivalent, far outweigh the cost. It is a path we cannot afford not to follow.
Informed by the Passivhaus Trust and Eco-Architective 2025. This post was produced to correct data reports published on the internet which conflict with these findings and under value the increasing interest in social Passivhaus.
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