Access to funding, innovation and collaboration are key as local authorities across the country race to decarbonise housing.
Our homes are responsible for nearly a fifth of all UK carbon emissions. We will need dramatic action to make them more energy efficient if we are to address the climate and cost-of-living crises.
The scale of the challenge to do that is huge: the UK has the leakiest housing stock in Western Europe.
But councils are already leading the way, developing replicable business cases to deliver insulation and renewable energy installations (known as retrofitting) on a mass scale.
At a recent workshop arranged by net zero charities Ashden and MCS Foundation, local councils from across the South West shared the innovative work they are undertaking to improve consumer awareness and to address skills shortages in retrofitting – both key barriers to growth in the sector.
For example, the West of England Combined Authority is funding a one-stop-shop retrofit advisory service for homeowners. This will provide support and advice to homeowners throughout the process of upgrading their home.
Devon County Council has supported an offer of free online home energy plans, as well as in-depth and tailored property energy efficiency assessments for homeowners.
These advice services, run in partnership with communities, help ensure consumers’ trust in the retrofitting process, and support retrofit demand.
On the supply side, councils in Somerset are offering free retrofit training for local construction businesses to address skills gaps, and are linking residents to nearby businesses through a green directory, helping build a sustainable local supply chain.
There are still hurdles to overcome as councils, communities and businesses take on the retrofit challenge.
A stop-start, disjointed funding landscape, for which government has to take responsibility, doesn’t help.
But with innovation, collaboration, and grant funding from organisations such as the MCS Foundation, local councils can make progress towards getting homes insulated and renewable energy installed at a mass scale.
- MCS Charitable Foundation’s mission is to accelerate the widespread adoption of renewable energy and low carbon technologies, see www.mcscharitablefoundation.org