NHF publishes housing decarbonisation guide

Taking another step towards a greener future, L&Q has contributed to the National Housing Federation’s (NHF) guide to decarbonising Britain’s homes – an essential part of tackling climate change.

NHF have been working with its members, including L&Q, to develop a strategic, national approach to the decarbonisation challenge for social housing providers across the country.

In this guide, NHF sets out practical steps of how Housing Associations can approach the retrofit of existing social homes, so they are more comfortable, cheaper to live in and emit no carbon. It also sets out the support needed from the government to deliver this and highlights the uncertainties the sector faces. With the support of SHIFT environment, NHF has also put together a suggested timeline of activity that aligns with the blueprint and informs more detailed plans.

Steve Moseley, Group Director of Governance, Strategy and Communications at L&Q said:

“Housing associations like L&Q, want to be at the forefront of decarbonisation but the sector is facing a huge challenge: how to cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change whilst delivering a major programme of safety remediation work and building tens of thousands of homes. This guide sets out the practical steps housing associations can take coupled with some clear asks of Government to work in partnership with the sector.”

The Heat and Buildings Strategy published today, coupled with the announcement that the Government will allocate £800 million to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, marks an important step towards decarbonising homes.

L&Q is pleased to have contributed to the NHF’s guide and remain fully committed to realising the net-zero target underpinning it. Over the next seven years, L&Q will invest £1.9 billion to transform our homes and neighbourhoods, with some of this investment going towards upgrading our existing stock to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C status by 2030.

Decarbonising homes is not only a vital part of tackling climate change, it will also ensure our residents have warmer, healthier homes to live in and more disposable income through cheaper energy bills, at a time when communities are still recovering from the pandemic.

To find out more about the decarbonisation guide, read the full report on the NHF website.