The Building Research Establishment has published a briefing calling for more retrofit support
The BRE is endorsing the Warm Homes Plan, highlighting that there are around 12m homes that do not meet adequate energy performance levels.
Their briefing uses data gathered from households as well as outlining recommendations to boost the Warm Homes Plan.
Many households will need government support to achieve targets
Net zero goals in the built environment will be difficult to reach without government support.
The English Housing Survey has recently shown that over 50% of homes meet at least Energy Performance Certificate band “C” for the first time, however, larger scale action will be needed in the private sector to take this further and meet targets for energy efficient and low-carbon and -cost homes.
Therefore, BRE has published recommendations in what they would like to see in the Warm Homes Plan, including prioritisation of the private sector and targeted retrofit advice to specific groups, such as over-65s who own over 40% of homes below the EPC C2 target, as well as helping to access financing options.
The Warm Homes Plan is planned to be revealed this Spring and has involved Local Grant funding for fuel poverty. The ECO programme, valued at £1bn a year and focused on low-income homes, will also feature with its future plans being laid out.
BRE’s data shows that many households are in need of support, including wealthier households in the owner-occupier sector, who have more issues with poor insulation, older heating systems, etc.
The private sector accounts for 90% of inefficient energy homes
The data also shows that flats in converted houses tend to be the least energy-efficient home, and the issues with these homes tend to be compounded with the multiple owners in the same building struggling to agree on retrofitting.
Private rental properties are also lacking in retrofit, with the least-efficient homes making up a significant proportion of this category.
Jane Goddard, managing director of building performance services and deputy CEO of BRE, said: “We have made encouraging progress to date on retrofitting our existing housing stock, with over half of English homes now meeting the reasonable EPC C standard.
“However, our approach to the remaining energy-inefficient homes will require consideration to ensure the Warm Homes Plan can target a much wider group of households with effective support.
“Local authorities will be crucial in this journey and require the necessary data, capacity, funding and powers to deliver energy efficiency improvements to homes most in need. The upcoming English Devolution Bill will hopefully mark a welcome step in this process.”
The briefing can be read in full here.
The post BRE endorses Warm Homes Plan ahead of official announcement appeared first on Planning, Building & Construction Today.