No home left behind?| Draft guidance for Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 3 released?| Futurebuild Industry Insider Newsletter 358
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I am chairperson and owner of Sustainable Investments Ltd, which includes:?
I am also chairperson of trade bodies including the National Insulation Association and National Home Decarbonisation Group, and work closely with organisations like The Retrofit Academy, as well as with government and its PAS2030/2035 steering group.?
No home left behind?
The national housing crisis and worldwide sustainability mission are inextricably linked, but not how you may think at first. Much of the housing discussion is focused on new homes, but as anyone involved in retrofit will appreciate there must be equal focus on our existing housing stock to ensure we all have places to live which are fit for the future. This is why I am taking a stand on making sure that no home is left behind.
Research suggests that almost all homes built since 2012 in England and Wales have a high energy efficiency rating, compared with just 12% of assessed homes built before 1900 in England, and 8% of homes built before 1900 in Wales. These findings reveal there is huge housing inequality that must be addressed. Not only will more energy efficient homes support our national net zero mission, but they will also help communities through the cost of living and health crises. The benefits of residential retrofit are vast, for a huge number of people. It’s a big task though, with some 29 million domestic properties across the UK – including roughly 4.5 million social homes. Excellent progress has been made in recent years, with nearly 50% of properties in England now having an EPC rating of C – up from just 14% in 2010.
What are the human benefits of social housing decarbonisation
Social housing decarbonisation is a key strategy to tackle climate change, with around 29 million UK homes requiring energy efficiency and microgeneration improvements. Landlords are leading the way, but other social benefits include improved physical health, thermal comfort, and air quality. This leads to fewer lost school or workdays, reducing pressure on the NHS, and a better quality of life. A cohesive approach is needed to deliver net zero, making homes safer and improving people's quality of life.
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I’m taking a stand for high-quality home decarbonisation at scale
The large-scale decarbonisation of homes is positively impacting millions of people suffering through the energy, cost of living, health and climate crises, but more can be done through a continued focus on policy, green skills and innovation.
?Point-of-Sale Technology for Financing Retrofits and Energy Efficiency?has been awarded funding through the government’s Green Home Finance Accelerator to pilot an innovative, purpose-built, point-of-sale finance platform ‘Green Finance Hub’ to be deployed for consumer retrofit energy efficiency and decarbonisation improvements.
Thermal imaging surveys, such as those by IRT Surveys, are showing surveyors, asset managers, and housing associations how to save time and money by using thermal imaging technology to plan retrofits that result in energy-efficient homes.
Energiesprong UK is taking a different approach to whole house retrofit by making homes fully insulated by using offsite manufactured wall and roof panels in conjunction with pre-assembled ‘energy pods’ - creating warmer, more desirable places to live that are financed by energy and maintenance savings.
The National Retrofit Conference: A resounding retrofit success?
Futurebuild 2024 hosted the inaugural National Retrofit Conference, bringing together leaders in retrofit and decarbonization. Representing the National Home Decarbonisation Group, I participated in discussions on key learnings, policy roadmaps, innovation support, and workforce development. The event featured knowledgeable speakers dedicated to the residential retrofit mission.
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