fbpx

A Five-Point Plan to Improve Social Housing Energy Efficiency and Enhance Asset Value

Meeting zero carbon objectives won’t be possible without making existing homes more energy efficient. This makes upgrading the nation’s stock of social housing to achieve higher levels of energy efficiency a massive – but essential – task. Households remain a large contributor to the country’s carbon footprint.

Alongside the costs there are also potential benefits. For local authorities and housing associations, energy efficiency upgrades bring opportunities to improve residents’ satisfaction levels and enhance the value of their housing assets.

For some social landlords there could be hundreds or even thousands of homes that need attention. The investment strategy and programmes of work will need careful planning and management.

Here are five points that should be addressed as a priority.

  1. Property Audit

Effective planning and budgeting isn’t possible without a detailed audit of the condition of the stock. This is something Osborne routinely maintains for the social housing contracts we manage. It could, however, be a significant task if asset condition isn’t currently well documented. Relevant details would include wall type, applicable renewable energy technologies, fuel supply, boiler type and age, and property age.

  1. Planning and Budgeting

Large-scale energy efficiency upgrade programmes are likely to be delivered over several years. Resources will have to be carefully planned and there must also be clear priorities to determine the order of the scheduled work and to minimise the disruption for residents.

Planning should also be coordinated with other planned maintenance and upgrades, including voids, to achieve the most efficient use of resources and budgets.

  1. Supply Chain Management

The property condition audit will identify the quantities of materials that will be needed, over time, to bring all homes up to the required standard. This should provide an opportunity to negotiate cost-effective supply contracts. Materials should be delivered on a just-in-time basis coordinated with the schedule of work.

Supply chain management will also be tasked with ensuring that the products used are appropriately certified. Material selection should consider whole-life cost issues such as durability rather than just be based on the lowest initial cost.

  1. Training

Training will be needed to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of operatives with the appropriate skills. Customer handling staff will also need to be trained to handle residents’ queries and explain the benefits of the property upgrades.

  1. Publicity

It’s essential that residents understand what is going to happen and why. With a detailed plan, it should be possible to inform residents about when they can expect their home to be upgraded and what the work is likely to entail. The publicity programme could also include energy-saving tips. It could be used to enhance the reputation of the authority or association.

Our approach to energy efficiency upgrades and sustainability is typical of the methodical and customer-focused way that Osborne manages all of our property services contracts.

Access our resource centre to find out more here

X