Global Scans · Homes · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: The number of smart homes is expected to grow further and by 2020 it is expected 46.2 million homes in the US and 44.9 million in Europe will be classed as smart homes. By 2022 there could be nearly 500 smart devices that can be connected to a smart home.

• [New] A re-elected National Government will strengthen New Zealand's energy resilience and help lower power bills by supporting households to move to solar power. National Party
• [New] Scotland's rapid uptake of residential solar and heat pumps demonstrates how households are reducing the embodied carbon of existing homes faster than policy frameworks anticipate, supporting national ambitions for net zero whole life carbon. Whole Life Carbon
• [New] A reasonable trajectory to delivering the heat pump target in the Warm Homes Plan would imply only around 1.9 million cumulative installations by 2030. Climate Change Committee
• [New] With the closure of the more widely available Energy Company Obligation scheme, there is a risk that installations of heat pumps fall, especially in low-income households. Climate Change Committee
• [New] A rural household with an oil boiler could save around £1,880 a year by switching to a heat pump and an electric car, even without solar panels or a time-of-use tariff, compared to £350 before the Iran war. Climate Change Committee
• [New] Electrification of home heating and transport could save up to 80 million barrels of oil and 1.5 billion therms of gas in 2030, which would cost £8 billion per year at current oil and gas prices. Climate Change Committee
• [New] Measures in the Warm Homes Plan to treble the number of homes with rooftop solar by 2030. Climate Change Committee
• [New] Low-carbon heating: the Warm Homes Plan aims for 450,000 heat pumps to be installed per year in the UK by 2030, of which around 250,000 would be retrofit. Climate Change Committee
• [New] Enabling access to cheaper off-street charging: several initiatives to improve access to cheaper on-street charging will enable more households to access cheaper electricity tariffs in England. Climate Change Committee
• [New] In recent years, around one-third of UK homeowners indicated that they might consider installing a heat pump, a high rate considering the small proportion of homes already using heat pumps. Climate Change Committee
• [New] The Warm Homes Plan aims for 450,000 heat pump installations per year by 2030, of which around 250,000 are expected to be retrofit. Climate Change Committee
• [New] A typical UK household will see lower and less volatile bills overall if they have an EV and a heat pump, rather than a petrol car and a gas boiler, under current government policies. Climate Change Committee
• [New] $14.7 million from the California Advanced Services Fund Broadband Infrastructure Grant Account will fund fiber-to-the-home projects serving 460 previously unconnected homes across Lassen, Plumas, and Sierra counties. BroadBand Communities
• [New] The affordable housing we do have is fragile: more than half a million homes financed through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits could lose rent protections in the coming decade, even as rising costs for food, healthcare, and other essentials squeeze already limited incomes. leadingage
• [New] Already, 28% of households age 65 and older are cost burdened - that is, they spend more than 30% of their income on rent - and, as the older population grows to 71 million by 2030, millions more are at risk. leadingage
• [New] For homes, EU countries will have to put in place measures ensuring that the average energy use of the residential building stock is reduced by 16% in 2030 in comparison to 2020, with higher targets for the following decades. Energy
• [New] We still have a viable path to getting at least 95% of U.S. homes capable of electric heating by 2050 - but it's rapidly narrowing. Latitude Media
• [New] After years underestimating the risks posed by climate-fueled disasters, the U.S. home insurance industry is in turmoil. Forbes
• [New] Evidence shows that living in cold homes is associated with poor health outcomes and an increased risk of morbidity and mortality for all age groups; furthermore, studies have shown that more than one in five (21.5%) excess winter deaths in England and Wales are attributable to cold housing. Institute of Health Equity
• [New] Most rental homes could cut energy bills by up to 50% through insulation, efficient electric appliances and rooftop solar, generating $107 billion in energy bill savings by 2050. SolarQuotes Blog
• [New] CAMBRIDGE, MA - Annual expenditures for improvements and maintenance to owner-occupied homes are projected to remain steady through the end of this year and into the middle of 2026. Joint Center for Housing Studies
• [New] Once the Osman Gazi platform becomes operational in 2026, daily gas production in the Black Sea will increase to 20 million cubic meters, sufficient to meet the needs of around 8 million households. Caliber.az
• [New] The US Department of Housing and Urban Development will now only consider animals trained to provide disability-related assistance as reasonable accommodations under the Fair Housing Act, excluding untrained emotional support animals from most complaints. Access Information News

Last updated: 27 June 2026