netMAGmedia staged a round table for the social housing sector this week which looked at the huge challenge of delivering a ‘just transition’ for tenants to better-performing homes with lower bills long-term, as well as the smart, tech-savvy solutions which can be applied for retrofits.
The round table, held in London, was sponsored by Showersave, Dimplex, Intergas and Chameleon Technology, who all brought representatives to the event to discuss innovative data-driven solutions for social housing clients; and submitted pertinent questions to the panel.
The event took place in the wake of the publication of the Warm Homes Plan which includes £5bn directed to upgrading the energy efficiency of low income households. It also came in the context of the updates to MEES (the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard), which establishes a baseline of efficiency for all tenants, and the investment needed to reach EPC ‘C’ for all properties by 2030, in an otherwise changeable policy environment. All of which add further pressure to already cash-strapped social housing providers.
The round table explored how carbon-cutting upgrades to properties’ heating and hot water systems in particular could bring cheaper bills for tenants, harnessing modern technology such as metering and data to ensure efficiency. It also looked at how residents needed to be fully and sensitively engaged in the process, to help build trust and long-term collaboration, as the sector seeks to reduce the 11% of UK households currently in ‘fuel poverty.’
The discussion’s relevance was enhanced by the presence of leading housing providers Clarion Housing Group (Becky Ritchie, head of sustainability, revealing that 43% of their residents were struggling to pay energy bills), and Legal & General Affordable Homes (Faisal Butt, head of stock acquisitions). Other experts present including Piers Williamson, chair of Sustainability for Housing, and Rebecca Rieley, head of communities at HACT. The event was helmed by guest chair, Elaine Middleton, strategic consultant and board member at housing association Livin Housing.
The round table will be reported in full in the summer edition of Housing Management & Maintenance, and a Building Insights podcast capturing highlights and recommendations from the discussion, will be available soon at: insights.netmagmedia.co.uk
Full list of attendees:
Joshua Deru Just Transition Lead, Climate Change Committee
Becky Ritchie Head of Sustainability, Clarion Housing Group
Faisal Butt Head of Stock Acquisitions Legal & General Affordable Homes
Rebecca Rieley Head of Communities & Projects, HACT
Greg Robinson Managing Director – DLO (Direct Labour Organisation), Mears
Rachel Taylor Senior Lecturer, University of South Wales
John Kolm Murray Turner & Townsend
Dr Marco Picco Lecturer in Building Services and Sustainable Engineering University of Lancashire
Piers Williamson Chair, Sustainability for Housing
Sponsors’ Attendees:
Tony Gordon Managing Director, Showersave
David Patrick Head of Specification Marketing, Glen Dimplex
Stewart Thompson National Specification Manager (Social Housing & New Build), Intergas
Kyle Brown Chief Commercial Officer, Chameleon Technology