Body also wants improvements to design of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund
The National Housing Federation has called on all political parties to commit to a “renewed and bolstered” Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
Describing the policy as a “quick win”, the body pointed out that the next government would need to make progress on climate in order to meet its binding net zero targets, suggesting home retrofit would be one way to do this.
It also noted the benefit that would be delivered in terms of “permanently lower bills, warmer homes and greater energy security in our volatile world”.
“For housing associations, net zero isn’t just an exercise in asset management, it is an opportunity to help reduce fuel poverty among their residents,” it said, suggesting housing associations should be “the bedrock” of the national retrofit mission.
It also suggested that the design of the third wave of SHDF funding could be imrpoved.
“Currently, it is proposed to be delivered over three years in a 40/40/20 split,” it said.
“This tapering off creates uncertainty for housing associations and their suppliers and leaves already struggling supply chains without the confidence they need to scale up decarbonisation of residents’ homes. We would like to see this issue addressed as well.”
Retrofit has not so far been a major topic on the campaign trail, although Labour’s Warm Homes Plan was included in a major statement about its wider clean energy strategy last week.
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The plan commits Labour to “upgrade millions of homes, installing energy saving measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation, and expanding access to green technologies like solar panels and green technologies”.
“Labour will give devolved governments and local authorities the power and the resources to upgrade cold, draughty homes in their area,” the party said, claiming it could cut household bills by up to £500 per year.
Labour had at one point been committed to a plan to insulate 19 million homes over a decade through £6bn worth of investment but rowed back on the pledge citing affordability issues.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the NHF said it “welcome[d] the ambition of a Warm Homes Plan” but that housing associations “need long-term funding, including a bolstered Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund & policy certainty to retrofit all homes to meet #NetZero by 2050”.
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