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INTRODUCTION

The housing stock in the UK has changed significantly since 1921. Many additional homes have been constructed since then, leading to the very wide diversity that we see today. This diversity is illustrated by the building typology in Figure 1.

This report focuses on energy-related matters. Age and built form as shown in the typology clearly affect the energy use and CO2 emission characteristics of the stock, but so too do various other factors. Many of these other factors are discussed in the rest of this report, which presents detailed trends for the 90 years between 1921 and 2011. The values used in the charts are presented in Appendix A. Although the report focuses on energy-related matters, it also covers some associated issues such as the presence of basic amenities. The aim is to highlight the major changes that have occurred over the past 90 years before looking forward to the prospects for the future housing stock (and to 2050 in particular). However, we start by considering the characteristics of the current housing stock and, in very broad terms, how these have been shaped by the policies and events of the past.