The UK government’s strategy over the future of retrofitting our homes is looking unclear at the moment.

Last month, there was shock across the nation as Rishi Sunak announced his intentions to scale back net zero policies. The change in policy has been framed by the government as part of a wider effort to relieve financial tension for homes and businesses in Britain.

Despite plans such as delaying the ban on homes using the UK’s gas grid network, there was some positive news behind the headlines that will benefit housing providers through access to the British retrofit market.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) has received an £80 million top-up for the latest wave of the project, that will be taking applications in late-November.

However, the SHDF doesn’t target the private rental market at all. In fact, Rishi Sunak promised that he would ‘never’ increase energy efficiency standards for the private sector at all, meaning that huge levels of decarbonisation are expected to be made without any incentive.

The Skidmore Report Returns

Former Environmental Secretary, Chris Skidmore MP has released a new report taking aim at the entirety of the housing sector, as delays to retrofit our homes are increasing, whilst the incentives for housing providers to make the transition have been decreasing.

The report lays out a strong case to encourage a ‘retrofit mission’ across the country. He argues that by 2035, the transition will cut emissions in our homes by 30% against 2021 levels.

Taking action to deliver retrofit projects across the housing sector will deliver a range of incentives and benefits, that goes much further than just decarbonising the sector, providing significant cost-efficient benefits for housing providers.

The Importance of Taking Swift Action 

Given the state of today’s economy there are multiple gains to be made in refurbishing housing to make our homes more efficient. It benefits a wide range of people and organisations, such as  

• Tenants 

• Landlords 

• Renovators/Contracted workers 

• Councils 

Not to mention that these refurbishments have financial benefits for housing associations that are willing to make the change. Using local/government incentives decreases the cost of retrofit projects, whilst also attracting investment and decreasing the occurrence of costly maintenance across our portfolios.

The current sluggishness for mass retrofitting has stemming from uncertainties surrounding future legislation, standards and a lack of long-term incentives to adapt to existing government schemes. As mentioned in the Skidmore Report, the current range of government initiatives only provide housing associations with schemes that last roughly between 1-3 years. 

Without support or clarity from central government to provide a long-term strategy, it has become essential to take matters into our own hands and implement the required long-term solutions that will future-proof our homes.  

After the death of 2-year old Awabb Ishak from prolonged mould exposure, found in a social home that was under the responsibility of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), it has become evermore vital to make the correct decisions to protect both the health of tenants, and the homes themselves.

Whether it’s improving insulation, installing heat pumps or monitoring conditions within your homes through the power of IoT systems, many aspects of the retrofit catalogue will make a real difference in benefitting the quality of homes and the amount of required maintenance, whilst increasing potential investment opportunities, company turnover and environmental benefits.

Understanding Mission Retrofit and its significance 

Retrofitting refers to the process of making energy-efficient upgrades to older homes in the UK (note that over half of these were built before 1965, only after this did thermal insulation become a regulatory matter when building homes).  

The process begins by identifying key areas where improvements need to be made and implementing the required upgrades. In turn, this will reduce the need for maintenance when hazardous conditions such as mould or damp begin to infest properties, and increase the overall quality and lifetime of the refurbishments made.

By retrofitting your homes, you are able save money by reducing repairs and also decrease the potential of damage that can be caused from factors such as mould, condensation or damp (which are all widespread issues within UK properties).

The transition to modern, sustainable technologies and refurbishments will contribute to more predictable returns within your properties. Furthermore, using smart monitoring systems allows you to become proactive in identifying and preventing these conditions, and understanding the requirements of your portfolios, so you can allocate funding in the most efficient way.  

You also gain peace of mind, as there is minimal chances of potential legal action occurring when prolonged conditions such as damp, mould or condensation are left untreated for residents, causing damaging health conditions. 

Benefits of retrofit projects for housing providers

As mentioned earlier, the SHDF will be receiving an £80 million top-up later this year. The fund is aimed at providing grants for social housing associations to continue refurbishing their homes with greener technologies in efforts to continue the level of progress that’s already been made.

Retrofitting homes also offers a range of benefits for housing providers, tenants, the economy and the environment. By making energy-efficient upgrades, you enjoy maximised portfolio health, reduced maintenance costs, higher quality properties, and the associated benefits of becoming evermore greener in their reputation. 

How does this work you might ask? The answer is predictive maintenance.

Using smart monitoring solutions in our homes allows us to fully understand our homes as if we’d simply asked them “what’s wrong. The benefits behind these systems begins with allowing us to see temperature, humidity and CO2 levels within. Different houses will differ in which refurbishments are required based on several factors including climate, so being able to identify your crucial upgrades will slow the rate of maintenance as soon as you act on the data provided through IoT monitoring systems.

These systems have further benefits that may not be as obvious at first sight. Inadequate conditions in your homes don’t always come from the structures themselves, and seeing cold properties or high CO2 levels can also allow you to be proactive in advising residents on healthier ways to live in your homes, or act upon potential cases of fuel poverty.

Environmental benefits of retrofitting

From an environmental standpoint, retrofitting plays a crucial role in reducing emissions. Not only will companies decrease their carbon footprint, but you can ensure that you also get a head start on industry competition. If these regulations are tightened soon, (which could even become legally applicable in years to come) the stress of a rapid transition process is easily mitigated, giving the leading housing providers more time to focus on projects of their own. Retrofitting also promotes the use of renewable energy sources, developing an advantage within an emerging market. 

Furthermore, decreasing your carbon emissions will help prevent erratic weather in the future. Recent floods and droughts in the UK have been known to affect insurance premiums for those housing associations who had to file a claim as a result.  

Where to begin your retrofit project

Retrofit schemes are still available in limited form from the government, (such as the SHDF) and can provide additional financial advantages, as these initiatives can either reimburse the applicable materials used within your properties, or provide you with tax relief through proving what materials and technologies you have used that are compliant with the given scheme.  

Additionally, housing providers can explore private retrofit schemes, including Retrofit Credits developed by HACT and Artica Partners. This allows developers to refurbish their property with brand-new technology, at a fraction of the price, like a reward for going green essentially!

As you’ve already read above, the advantages to implementing a wide-spread retrofit project should be tempting enough. However, if they’re not then getting new technology for cheaper should surely make sense, and add further beneift to the decision you’re about to make.

As mentioned earlier, retrofitting properties is not the most simple of tasks. Weather, property build, materials and use of the property are just some of the factors that make starting these projects difficult, as required upgrades will differ between homes. Properties based in the north will need different upgrades from those the south, meaning there is no single method that will work for every housing provider.

By monitoring your properties’ health, acknowledging upgrades catered to energy-efficiency, temperature, mould or damp will reveal themselves quickly, giving you the confidence in using your money in the best possible way.

Steps to take to implement your retrofit project 

Implementing retrofitting projects within your homes will require a certain degree of planning and execution. Here are some steps to consider: 

1. Set goals:

Define the objectives of retrofitting, whether it's increasing property value, reducing costs, or improving the quality of your properties and assets. This will help you guide the decision-making process and prioritise upgrades. 

2. Research retrofit options:

Explore various retrofit options available to you and determine which ones align with the project goals. 

3. Assess priorities:

Certain homes within your portfolio will require further aspects of attention dependent on quality of the build. Monitoring conditions such as temperature, CO2, humidity and energy usage will help you reduce costs in the places where it’s most needed. 

4. Monitor and evaluate:

Once conditions and priorities are understood, implement the relevant upgrades and improvements and compare the ongoing data to see the difference in expenditure. Adjust refurbishments if necessary and continue to explore additional opportunities for improvement. 

Retrofit: A Case Study 

Examples of successful retrofit projects and schemes can provide valuable insights into the benefits of retrofitting and get your business well ahead of potential advancements within the sector. Case studies are the best option when it comes to proving the potential within analysing where to make refurbishments, and what equipment to use to make the correct decisions. 

One example is Smartline, who worked in collaboration with Cornwall Council and Exeter University to explore the potential wide-scale benefits of using IoT monitoring solutions in identifying weaknesses within social homes around the south-west coast of England. The project ran across 274 council homes to find the best approach in reducing damaging conditions. Upon completion of the project, the results showed that most of these homes were susceptible to mould growth, due to a combination of cold temperatures and damp conditions in the properties. Based on this data, the correct strategy was made on how best to allocate funding to improve these homes. 

Retrofitting is a process that will require a different approach based on a variety of factors applicable to those homes in question. From age to building materials, local climate or even how the home was built affects what retrofitting method is appropriate. Monitoring levels within homes such as temperature, CO2 or humidity over a substantial period will provide accurate insights on the best approach to take. Using IoT systems provided this housing provider with a solid solution for understanding the health of their homes. 

Cost considerations for retrofitting your homes 

The cost of retrofitting varies dependent on the scope of your project and which upgrades will be required. Some refurbishments such as heat pumps require a significant amount of upfront investment. By monitoring conditions within your homes, you can use data to accurately predict the long-term savings on repairs, and maintenance. It's important to weigh the initial expenses against the potential financial benefits later, and what solutions each improvement can offer a home over time. 

Monitoring conditions within your homes also hosts one other hurdle, with residents requiring respect over their privacy and space, without constant interference. Luckily, monitoring temperature, CO2 and humidity patterns only requires a small amount of human contact required to both install and maintain these devices. They then regularly record precise data of what’s occurring within your homes, without violating the privacy of your tenants. 

Taking action for a greener future in our homes 

Mission retrofit offers an effective solution in making our homes more energy-efficient, sustainable, and highly cost-effective. By embracing retrofitting in the near future, housing providers will significantly reduce maintenance work, save costs, future-proof their homes, and increase their progress towards reducing carbon, when the pressure begins to ramp up later on.  

We know that cost is a huge issue in this project, and being able to monitor the quality of your portfolio will help prioritise the right homes first. 

Need to understand your portfolio better before investing in portfolios? Our humidity, temperature and carbon dioxide sensor enables you to predict conditions that could indicate damp, mould and condensation before they occur.