In the latest allocation, announced earlier this month, 170,000 homes are to be upgraded thanks to £1.8bn which is being distributed across the country.
Cardiff-based energy as a service company, Sero, helps social landlords decarbonise their housing stock while also supporting residents to transition to greener homes and reduced energy bills.
The company has helped a variety of social landlords to secure government funding in the latest Warm Homes round.
Here, Sero’s Head of Projects, Jim McArdell, shares his views on the importance of ensuring retrofit projects are completed to the highest standards and quality.
Prioritising people over profits
It’s a well-known fact that Britain’s housing stock is among the most challenging in Europe to retrofit, with many homes built before energy efficiency standards existed. Old structures, complex designs, and poor insulation make retrofitting tough. We should openly acknowledge that social landlords, contractors, and policymakers face a big task in making these homes warmer, healthier, and more energy efficient.
However, this challenge is not insurmountable, provided the industry shifts focus from profit-driven motivations to ensuring high-quality outcomes that truly benefit residents.
Collaboration for quality retrofit
That said, social landlords have made strides, but they need more support, clearer guidance, and access to skilled contractors to ensure the highest quality in retrofit projects. Retrofit isn’t just about ticking boxes or cutting costs—it’s about improving lives. Focusing on quality, accountability, understanding the risks involved in getting it wrong, and learning from past mistakes is key.
To know what matters most and unlock the value in our local communities requires high standards and consistency. Sadly, recent issues like faulty insulation under schemes such as ECO4 and GBIS, show the serious consequences of poor work. These failures highlight the need for independent technical oversight, which has often been missing.
What makes a good retrofit?
A successful retrofit strategy hinges on the application of empirical science, balancing tried-and-tested methods with continuous learning, integrating insights from pilot projects and the latest innovations. A holistic design approach, with meticulous attention to detail in specifying recommended measures and their locations, is essential to ensure optimal performance.
High-quality installations that adhere to the Medium-Term Improvement Plan and the design specifications are crucial to ensure the best outcome for the home and resident and meet expectations/requirements of the client. It’s not just about complying with building regulations, meeting profit margins, or hitting deadlines; the priority should be the home and its residents.
Consideration of conflicting measures and interactions in design, combined with the skills gap, can lead to significant negative outcomes. These can range from poor energy performance, damp and mould issues, to, in extreme cases, damage to the homes they were meant to improve.
The role of PAS 2035 and independent oversight
Managing and planning retrofit projects vary significantly due to differences in project size, measures, and approaches, as well as the variation in standards. PAS 2035 was developed to provide guidance and structure, introducing roles such as Retrofit Adviser, Assessor, Designer, Co-ordinator, Installer and Evaluator. This regulation sets training standards and ensures that surveys, strategies, designs, and quality installations are conducted, along with maintaining resident satisfaction. However, it also allows for various contracting arrangements, including one organisation fulfilling multiple roles.
A major challenge is contracting parties self-certifying their own work, which although may simplify things for the landlord, risks conflict of accountability that could lead to poor-quality results. Social landlords on tight budgets face serious risks from this lack of oversight, and without change, mistakes could repeat and in the long run could cost more.
PAS 2035 is therefore a vital standard that ensures best practice in retrofit projects. For it to work fully, however, it must be followed consistently, with enforcement and independent checks. This will guarantee high-quality results and restore confidence in retrofitting efforts.
Focusing on quality
Social landlords shouldn’t have to choose between saving money and ensuring safety and comfort for their residents. Retrofitting isn’t just about reducing energy bills either; it’s about improving residents’ health, well-being, and making homes safer and warmer. The changes made will have a lasting impact, and we can’t afford to rush or put profits first. Instead, we must focus on the ‘value’ of quality.
That focus on quality will also benefit landlords in the long run, with more cost-effective solutions when considering ongoing building maintenance, health and social benefit.
Working together for lasting change
Our understanding is that the retrofit sector has come a long way, but there’s still much to do. Social landlords need the right resources and guidance to make their projects successful, and contractors must stay committed to improving homes.
So, how can we leverage this to best effect?
Well, put simply, the whole industry must work together to ensure every retrofit project meets the highest of standards.
The path forward is clear: by focusing on people, embracing PAS 2035 as a framework for quality retrofit, and ensuring independent oversight, we can rebuild trust in the retrofit process. We must use the lessons from past mistakes to move forward. We need to stop the cycle of blaming the supply chain and instead focus on solutions.
While challenges persist, by working together and adhering to high standards, we can ensure better outcomes for residents and the industry as a whole.
Together, we can create homes that are energy-efficient, safe, and healthy for social housing residents. This can, and must be done, if we are to win over the hearts of the nation.
Image credit: Sero
