Test and learn phase begins for Heartwarming Homes toolkit
Eighteen social housing providers are testing a communications toolkit which will support them to engage with residents about having Net Zero work completed in their homes.
The Heartwarming Homes toolkit will help providers change the way they engage and communicate with residents about energy efficiency improvements. It will be a useful guide for both communications and sustainability and asset management teams.
The toolkit uses behaviour change principles and includes research and practical advice about how to make energy efficiency an easy choice for residents.
There is advice about which channels to use to engage with residents successfully. Face-to-face communication and resident ambassadors have both been identified as key to building trust, as well as educating colleagues so everyone a resident has contact with is on-message.
There is a step-by-step communication process for energy efficiency projects, and a range of resources you can download and share with residents including FAQs, sample letters and case study videos. The ‘using the right language’ section will help you communicate in a clear and accessible way.
There is also a section which looks at how you can communicate with the wider customer group about energy efficiency, including those who are not yet due to have work done on their home.
Kathy Thomas, the project’s Communications Project Manager (Net Zero) said:
“One of the biggest takeaways for me from our tenant advisory group and communications advisory group has been the need to create trust between tenants and landlords. Both groups have played a big part in making sure what we produce is relevant to tenants and the housing sector.
“Social landlords are leading the way with making the UK’s homes greener – and they’re facing similar challenges. Heartwarming Homes is about offering a better resident experience and helping your sustainability programme run smoothly. To make this happen, communication and engagement need to be an integral part of net zero project plans.”
Heartwarming Homes has been developed in partnership with Northern Housing Consortium, Placeshapers and Tpas. It takes forward recommendations from the Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury and Residents’ Voices in the Net Zero journey.
Heartwarming Homes is about the sector working together – it’s time to collaborate not duplicate. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more or share your learning.
