Posted 19.01.21
GOV.UK: Further reading
Housing Minister Chris Pincher has announced that all homes and businesses will have to meet rigorous new energy efficiency standards to lower energy consumption and bills.
Responding to a consultation on the Future Homes Standard, the government has set out plans to radically improve the energy performance of new homes, with all homes to be highly energy efficient with low carbon heating and be zero carbon ready by 2025.
These homes are expected to produce 75-80% lower carbon emissions compared to current levels. To ensure industry is ready to meet the new standards by 2025, new homes will be expected to produce 31% lower carbon emissions from 2021.
Existing homes will also be subject to higher standards - with a significant improvement on the standard for extensions, making homes warmer and reducing bills.
The requirement for replacement, repairs and parts is to be more energy efficient. This includes the replacement of windows and building services - such as heat pumps, cooling systems, or fixed lighting.
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Posted 12.01.21
Altair Ltd: Read the report (pdf)
Altair launches its new sustainability report, 'Housing the Green Revolution - Pioneering the way forward', which examines the challenges for the housing sector in responding to the targets of the green agenda.
The report pulls out how the sector is making plans to address its carbon emissions; shares lessons learned so far from inside and outside the sector; and provides insight and practical guidance for a journey to net-zero carbon.
The report survey showed that the journey to net-zero has only begun for a small percentage of housing providers:
A major consideration for decarbonisation strategies throughout the housing sector is how they will be financed
It is unlikely the Government will provide complete funding for decarbonisation, but there are many other funding options available.
The Committee on Climate Change reported that in residential buildings, behaviour change could be accountable for savings of around £400 million by 2050.
Engagement programmes with residents and employees to alter behaviours in energy consumption are therefore of equal importance to rolling out energy efficient measures and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The report provides an understanding of the six sources of influences for housing providers looking to work with tenants to drive lasting change.
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Posted 04.01.21
WWF Scotland: Further reading
Transforming how we heat our homes and buildings could be a cornerstone of a just and green economic recovery post-COVID says WWF Scotland.
An infrastructure programme to expand insulation activity and the construction of heat networks could create at least 9,000 jobs across the country - while supporting all homes to be warm, comfortable and energy efficient.
However, a lack of understanding and awareness of the technologies and their economic and social benefits could be holding us back, the charity warns.
WWF's green new deal for homes would include:
Fabrice Leveque, head of policy at WWF Scotland said:
"A quarter of people in Scotland are living in fuel poverty. With more people than ever before working from home, proper investment in energy efficiency and better housing will help cut energy bills, tackle poverty and slash emissions.
"A sustained programme of investment in energy efficiency for our homes would create thousands of jobs, and boost GDP by at least &pounf8 billion.
"For every £1 invested, it would deliver £5 back. It would also prepare homes for low-carbon heating systems like heat networks and heat pumps."
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Updated 18.01.21
The Conversation: The UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in Europe - here's how to fix this
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Chartered Institute of Housing: Meeting the challenges of fuel poverty and climate change
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