Oct 4 2005
Social housing providers across the UK are being encouraged to take advantage of a new advice service, as research reveals that seven in ten householders believe they must take responsibility for combating climate change.
The Energy Saving Trust is today urging local authorities and housing associations across the country to prioritise energy efficiency and help improve the nations managed houses. The Energy Saving Trust has also updated its energy efficiency guide to include detailed information to support housing professionals in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The free online guide is now in four parts covering the whole of the UK and offers detailed information on energy efficiency measures and sources of funding.
Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: "Managed housing constitutes a third of the housing stock within the UK and energy used in this sector produces over 48 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, while around one in ten tenants are in fuel poverty.
"It is therefore a priority to reduce emissions from the nation's eight million managed houses. The first step to achieving this is to ensure that local authorities and housing associations have a sustainable energy strategy.
"Since the original launch of the guide in 2004, we have provided advice and support to a significant number of housing professionals in England and we are delighted that we can now extend this valued source of support to the devolved nations."
Phil Dark, Project Manager of Knightstone Housing Association Ltd, said: "The guide was an invaluable resource for us as we looked to fill gaps in our affordable warmth strategy and helped us highlight areas we needed to address.
"Ultimately it has become a key resource used by other members of the organisation besides myself, as Knightstone continues its drive to maintain the very highest standards for residents."
The study also revealed that almost half (48%) of people in UK do not believe their local authority or housing association is doing enough to make that their local area environmentally friendly. Philip Sellwood concluded: "Although there are a number of local authorities and housing associations across the UK who have made energy efficiency a priority in their community, there is still some way to go and we hope the guide will encourage others to take action."
The Energy Saving Trust has produced the following tips to help housing professionals make their own housing stock more energy efficient:
Assess your housing stock
If your housing stock is not energy efficient you could be wasting money and storing up problem of the future. The guide will help you make an accurate assessment of your housing stock and explain the measures needed to make improvements.
Train your staff in energy efficiency
Forming an energy strategy is one thing but putting it into practice is another. The guide will give you information on basic training for energy awareness and show how trained staff will help your organisation reach its energy efficiency targets.
Secure funding
The long-term financial benefits of building and maintaining energy efficient housing potentially huge and funding is available to help with initial costs.
The guide covers all the major sources within the UK, from third party private finance to major grant programmes open to the housing management sector. The guide will also help you maximise the benefits from this funding.
For further information please visit www.est.org.uk/guide
Posted 5 Ocotber 2005