Federation welcomes new strategy to green Britain's homes
Friday 12 March 2010
The National Housing Federation has warmly welcomed the publication of the Government’s Household Energy Management Strategy (HEMS), which sets out plans to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from existing housing.
Included in HEMS is a New Warm Homes Standard to drive the retrofit of all social homes by 2020. This will deliver insulation measures and heating systems alongside renewable technologies, as well as measures to adapt to climate change.
Ensuring all affordable homes are meeting the standard by 2020 will require new partnership working between landlords and energy suppliers. Landlords will offer the energy savings potential in bulk, enabling energy companies to deliver energy savings cost effectively.
There will be a new obligation on energy companies to support partnership arrangements and delivery of carbon savings. Social tenants and social landlord leaseholders will benefit from ‘priority group’ treatment, providing 100% subsidy for the necessary works.
HEMS also emphasises the role of more localised initiatives than the centralised approach of CERT. There is recognition that housing associations and other social housing providers have a vital role in improving the energy efficiency of their own homes as well as that of the broader neighbourhoods they work in.
David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said:
“The UK is committed to significant reductions in CO2 emissions as part of our nation’s efforts to tackle climate change.
"Today’s publication of the Government’s Household Energy Management Strategy is an important milestone in ensuring these radical cuts in CO2 are achieved.
"Housing accounts for 27% of the UK’s CO2 emissions, so improving the energy efficiency of all homes is clearly vital in achieving our climate change targets.
"Our sector is already leading the way in tackling climate change, and we welcome the opportunities HEMS will offer to take this work further.
"The New Warm Homes Standard outlined in HEMS sets an ambitious target to raise the energy efficiency of social homes which should greatly help reduce tenants’ fuel bills.
"The Federation looks forward to working on the detail of the new standard with CLG, TSA and HCA to maximise its potential to reduce carbon emissions and energy bills whilst continuing to uphold our sector’s capacity to provide good quality housing and develop much-needed new homes.”
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