Hundreds of Lewisham residents to benefit from warmer homes
Innovative GIS tool assists local council with the prioritisation of properties awaiting energy efficient retrofit
Located in south east London, the borough of Lewisham is home to more than 300,000 people.
Statistics published in the 2021 census suggest it is in the top 5% most densely populated local authority areas in England.
Lewisham Council, which provides a range of services to its residents has a formal responsibility to manage and maintain more than 19,000 homes across the borough.
Our Salix teams were on site to speak with council staff and discuss how the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is being used to support energy efficient retrofit and the benefits it is bringing to residents and their homes.
Tania Jennings, Lewisham Council’s net zero carbon manager, said: “We want to ensure that our residents have the warm, healthy and happy homes that they deserve.
“Nobody should have to grow up in fuel poverty and we want to ensure that we provide our residents with homes that don’t add to their worries or negatively impact their health.
“By focusing on homes where damp and mould or other non-decency flags such as inadequate lighting, excessive heat or cold, and damaged glazing, we are able to maximise the impact of both our grant funding and repairs budget, bringing them up to a standard that not only meets our statutory duty, but leaves residents with homes they can be proud of.”
We want to ensure that our residents have the warm, healthy and happy homes that they deserve.
Nobody should have to grow up in fuel poverty and we want to ensure that we provide our residents with homes that don’t add to their worries or negatively impact their health.
During our visit, the council showcased an innovative GIS tool that is assisting teams with the prioritisation of homes awaiting retrofit upgrades. Addressing priorities in what it calls a ‘worst first’ approach, the tool looks at a variety of measures to indicate homes in higher need of upgrades which address immediate risks including damp and mould.
The tool was created as a collaborative effort by teams across the council utilising data from multiple sources including Energy Performance Certificates (EPC), survey data, maintenance reports and issues logs.
Tania added: “We could have started with our ‘low hanging fruit’, solely focusing on the homes with an EPC rating E, F and G.
“However, we recognise that, in reality, EPC is not the only measure of a healthy home, so we wanted to look at further details to get a comprehensive understanding for the homes and families in highest need of upgrades, then utilise the funding available to try to tackle those homes first.”
We recognise that, in reality, EPC is not the only measure of a healthy home, so we wanted to look at further details to get a comprehensive understanding for the homes and families in highest need of upgrades, then utilise the funding available to try to tackle those homes first.
To support the work, the council was awarded £3 million through the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1. Our teams at Salix act as delivery agent for this scheme, working closely with our delivery partner consortium led by PwC.
The council has already seen success through delivery of works funded through the scheme at other homes across the borough. This includes a block of Blackheath-based flats, called the Hermitage, where it was able to upgrade 28 homes with energy efficiency retrofit measures.
Measures installed included new windows, loft insulation and solar. Residents have already expressed gratitude for the upgrades installed, having noticed a drop in energy bills compared to last winter.
Looking ahead, Lewisham is utilising data from its GIS tool to prepare, plan and facilitate engagement with residents in preparation for further homes which it aims to deliver, including an ambition to deliver over a thousand more through Wave 3 of the Social Housing Fund.
Priorities for continued improvement include further collaboration between teams to avoid silos such as those where maintenance teams could focus on the replacement of windows in a home eligible for a full set of energy efficiency measures delivered through the schemes.
Our senior project support officer Sam Taylor, who was amongst Salix colleagues in attendance on the day, said: “It was great to meet with the team at Lewisham to learn more about their approach to retrofit being delivered through the scheme.
“The approach combines analytical and statistical measures as well as anecdotal and people-driven feedback and ambitions – that’s an incredibly difficult balance to strike.
“I look forward to hearing more about what the team is able to achieve through delivery via the scheme across the next few months.”
The approach combines analytical and statistical measures as well as anecdotal and people-driven feedback and ambitions – that’s an incredibly difficult balance to strike.
Team Salix with the climate resilience team from Lewisham Council
Credit: Salix
About the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund
First launched in August 2021, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund made grant funding available to eligible social housing landlords, including local authorities and housing associations, so that they can install energy efficiency measures, such as insulation and heat pumps, in socially rented homes.
The scheme is designed to support more social housing tenants, who will benefit from homes that are warmer and cheaper to heat, saving money on their fuel bills, as well as cutting carbon emissions, as part of the UK’s approach to delivering net zero in a way that reduces the burden on British families.
In our capacity as delivery agent for the scheme, we provide assurance to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. We continue to monitor and make refinements, responding to the feedback we receive, to ultimately help all successful grant recipients on their journey to supporting the net zero agenda.
Read more about the scheme through our website.
