Comprehensive review and evaluation of 28 housing stock energy models (HSEMs), and their underlying data sources, that have been developed to inform UK housing stock decarbonisation policy. Evaluation criteria include: predictive accuracy, predictive sensitivity to design parameters, versatility, computational efficiency, the reproducibility of predictions and software usability as well as the models' transparency (how open they are) and modularity Current HSEMs are lacking in transparency and modularity, they are limited in their scope and employ simplistic models that limit their utility; in particular, relating to the modelling of heat flow and of household behaviours. There is a need for an open-source and modular dynamic HSEM platform that addresses current limitations, can be readily updated as new calibration data is released and be readily extended by the modelling community at large.