Energy House journal – BBC News

It has been a hectic few weeks: the roof is on, the lath and plaster is going on the walls and the cabling and plumbing is going into the house.

The choices now are more aesthetic: what colour is the kitchen? What colour are the sofas? Are we having leather or material sofas?

These are some simple questions that we can answer, but the main question still needs to be addressed, and that is where you come in.

Where do we begin with our experiments? What is our strategy for retrofit? Is it the building’s fabric? Is it technology? Is it funding or is it people?

For many, this involves entering uncharted waters. For example, only 13% of the social housing organisations that responded to a recent survey have a strategy in place for retrofit.

The survey – conducted by the University of Salford, external, Fusion21, external and Procurement for Housing (PfH), external – questioned 134 organisations about their approach to improving the sustainability of their housing stock.

It asked them about their preparation to meet low-carbon energy targets set out in the Warm Homes Standard.

More than 80% of respondents currently do not have a strategic plan in place to make their properties energy efficient.

A number of the respondents have no activity in place to increase the sustainability of their homes at all.

Sustainability challenge

Yet the findings suggested that 27% of housing professionals saw sustainable retrofit as the biggest challenge facing the social housing sector, listing it above risks posed by the general economic downturn, reduced development programmes and housing benefit cuts.

Almost 90% of people questioned cited the lack of funding as the main barrier to installing retrofit measures. The main obstacle for tenants was considered to be the home dwellers’ lack of understanding about new technology.

PfH and Fusion21 are now undertaking further research with the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) to examine the best ways to advise residents on issues around energy saving and how they can change their behaviour to reduce fuel bills.

Stephen Waterworth, Energy Hub manager