Net Zero Measures Demonstrator Tours
In November 2021, the Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury launched its final report; their views as social housing tenants as to how tenants, social landlords, and other place-based organisations can work together to tackle climate change in our homes and neighbourhoods.
Central to the project was the pressing issue of retrofitting homes – making properties more energy efficient through improved levels of insulation and transitioning home heating systems away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources. In amongst the often-complex asset management factors posed by retrofit; identifying and assessing properties, funding sources, designing schemes, managing contractors; the tenant is at risk of becoming a secondary concern.
The Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury focussed on making decarbonising homes a tenant engagement consideration and a collaborative process between landlord and tenant.
As part of our commitment to promote and advance the Jury’s work, the NHC is working closely with members in identifying demonstrator homes across the North. This provides the opportunity for NHC members and their tenants to come and take a look at the different net zero measures in the demonstrator homes, to be able to see first-hand what the measures look like, how they work, impact on the environment, and savings to tenants. To this end, the NHC has arranged for members and their tenants to visit demonstrator homes in the North East and North West, hosted by NHC members Livin and MSV.
In partnership with Livin Housing, the NHC invited members and their tenants to a tour around Livin’s Jubilee Fields Estate in Shildon and their onsite Net Zero Measures Demonstrator Home. This is part of a wider placemaking and regeneration project to improve the quality of life on the estate and transforming the overall appearance – a walkabout around the estate was included in the tour.
Livin has set up the demonstrator home to enable visitors to learn about the various net zero and energy saving measures used in the home and provide money saving tips linked in with the cost-of-living agenda. Attendees were able to see first-hand how the net zero and energy efficiency measures in the home can save residents money, which is increasingly important given the current cost of living crisis.
The North West demonstrator tour was to MSV Housing’s Cosy Home in Rusholme, Manchester. The Cosy Home is a traditional pre-war brick-built terraced house in the heart of Rusholme – MSV has a further 1,300 homes similar to this one. The Cosy Home is a pilot and will provide the data needed to assess installation costs, how much energy is saved and what external funding can be achieved. The Cosy Home now benefits from an EPC A rating and household bills will be monitored for two years to assess the results of the work done and typical usage during that time.
Working with their 6 specialist partners, MSV’s Cosy Home has been fully retrofitted with:
- Internal Wall Insulation
- The latest PV’s which provide 5.8kw of energy storage
- An Air-source heat pump – air to water system
- New high-efficiency windows and doors
The aim is to showcase to the local and wider community how a property of this type can be much more energy efficient, kinder to the environment and help meet our net carbon zero targets. Housing accounts for up to 40% of carbon emissions according to the Committee on Climate Change, so we have a significant and important role to play in creating clean, green and thriving communities.
The NHC will be organising further demonstrator tours for members and their tenants in 2023, so keep an eye out for further details on this to follow. If you have any questions regarding the demonstrator tours or would like to be involved in the future, please contact Satty Rai (Member Engagement Manager) Satty.Rai@northern-consortium.org.uk
