Why Zero Carbon Retrofit and Healthy Homes are Part of the Same Agenda

Net zero retrofit of social housing is such a large undertaking that it’s tempting to look at it in isolation. There’s also a tendency to think of it solely in terms of the climate emergency and achieving the UK’s goal of being net zero carbon by 2050.

As important as climate action is, net zero retrofit is also part of a bigger picture of ensuring that all social housing residents enjoy living conditions that are safe and healthy.

One of the risks with the recent increases in domestic energy costs is that more people will end up living in cold, damp housing. A home that you can’t afford to heat adequately is highly likely to suffer from condensation and mould.

There are also well established links between poor health – such as respiratory problems and asthma -and cold, damp living conditions. For children this can also result in a highly disrupted education.

Decarbonising Housing is Tackling Fuel Poverty

The Institute of Housing has made a persuasive case for accelerating retrofit programmes to help tackle fuel poverty and the health implications that come with it:

‘The biggest opportunity for eliminating fuel poverty is through the decarbonisation of domestic heat, improving energy efficiency and making bills more affordable’ – Tackling the Fuel Poverty Crisis, Dec 2021

As energy costs look set to stay high indefinitely there’s an added impetus to make serious inroads into the retrofitting of social housing in the UK. Ensuring that all homes meet the decent homes standard and that those most likely to be affected by fuel poverty are treated as priorities will inevitably affect how retrofit programmes are planned and implemented.

These priorities will have to be addressed alongside the backlogs of repair and maintenance work that many social landlords face, partly as a result of Covid-19. Ultimately this means that fragmented approaches won’t make the rapid and meaningful progress social housing residents need. Without collaboration and detailed coordination we may still be having the same conversation in five years time. People doomed to live in homes they can’t afford to heat can’t wait that long.

For ideas about how to approach zero carbon retrofit at scale visit our resource centre or contact Nick Davidge ([email protected]).