A Presentation from officers on the De-Carbonisation Scheme.
Minutes:
Members received a presentation from the Service Manager (Investment Programme Delivery) on De-Carbonisation in Housing.
To deliver Net Zero Carbon the UK became the first major economy in the world to pass laws to end its contribution to global warming by 2050. This target will require the UK to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. For Social Housing, it means that Carbon Dioxide emissions from buildings must reach zero by 2050 and there will be a ban on fossil fuel heating in new build homes by 2025. Also, existing homes must meet EPC C by 2030.
An EPC is a certificate that shows how energy efficient a property is. A property will be given an energy efficient grade between A and G with A being the most energy efficient. The government expects the council to achieve EPC grade C on all properties by 2030.
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council plan to meet these targets by doing a data refresh and develop a programme of stock condition surveys and retrofit assessments which will help the council identify the energy efficiency of each home. Once this has been done, a programme table will be created outlining how many properties meet each grade. A programme will be developed to ensure the council properties meet at least EPC grade C. The council are working on putting in a bid for Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The council will take a Fabric First approach to improve energy performance of properties and consider more suitable heating solutions.
In regards to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Bid, the government committed to a £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) over a 10-year period to improve the energy performance of social rented homes. This was targeted for homes rated EPC D and below and there were currently around 1.6 million social homes that fall into this category. The council are working with their partnering contractors Morgan Sindall in developing the bid under Wave 2.1. The council will install energy performance measures on 173 of the lowest performing homes, this will include Howard House and a number of non-traditional construction type dwellings.
A ‘fabric first’ approach means Proper insulation. This includes internal/external wall insulation, Cavity wall insulation, loft and roof insulation, floor insulation, double or triple glazing for windows and low energy lighting. The objective of ‘fabric first’ is to improve airtightness in buildings. This helps limit the amount of heat escaping from a building and stops drafts from entering.
There are a lot of new emerging heating technologies such as air-source heat pumps. These are currently very expensive for landlords and tenants and have lower outputs in comparison to current systems. There is also a lack of expertise in the sector as well as lack of user awareness. The council will work with the industry to make sure the right solution is chosen.
The following points were noted:
· Members asked if the 173 lowest performing properties were all the council properties that were below Grade C. Officers stated that they were in the process of refreshing their energy data. Officers did not know how many properties were below Grade C. To identify the properties, the council look at construction type and which properties are performing badly. Currently the council have identified these and submitted these properties as part of the bid.
· Members asked if when installing heat pumps and other technologies, are they liveable upgrades or would tenants have to move out. Officers said the council will plan and programme the works to get them done as quickly as possible while the tenant is residing at their property.
· Members asked if the heat pumps also work for reducing humidity in a property. Officers said that the council would use the pumps for the purpose of providing heating solution to the property. This will help the council achieve Net Zero carbon and de-carbonisation.
· Members asked if there is money available to do a whole retro-fits for buildings. For example installation at Howard House, would there be money to repair the roof and guttering and do it all as one project. Officers stated that in terms of Howard House specifically, the council have proposals to do a major refurbishment project which will include all the maintenance. In terms of retro-fitting, the council are looking at houses primarily as well and packaging up those repairs and work on those all in one go.
· Members asked what sort of measures the council have in place about the lack of awareness for using this technology and what do we do to educate residents on how to use the systems. Officers said that when it comes to lack of education that is primarily around the heating installation and the council have not yet decided what the best heating solution is. Once the council have got an idea of which heating solution they will be using, Officers will then put together an educational guide for residents on how to use them.
· Members asked what the time span was for installing the heat pumps for council properties and will it be as a programme over a number of years. Officers stated the 173 properties that were identified, was to do with the fabric first approach such as installation, windows and improving the air-tightness and energy efficiency of the properties before installing the heating solution. The council will look to choose the right heating solution in the near future and then put together a programme of works which will then deliver the installation of the heating solutions, this had not been agreed or finalised as of yet.
· Members asked what happens with properties which are mixed-tenancies such as private leaseholders and council tenants, and asked if the whole building will be completed or will it be offered to the other occupants of the building to have it done at the same time. Officers said that if there is a block of flats, it would make sense to install those improvement measures across the block rather than leaving gaps which can cause problems in the future with damp and mould in certain areas of the property. The council would speak to leaseholders about it and make sure the tenants were aware of what the council were proposing to do.
· Members asked if the ventilation had been considered to go along with the installation to prevent mould and damp. Officers said they have considered ventilation as part of the proposals. Officers said that the council were about to embark on a significant investment programme on the housing stock with new kitchens and bathrooms. A £100M programme to get underway from April 2023. In the process of procuring those programmes and when fitting new kitchens and bathrooms the council will also be installing mechanical extraction at the same time so this will pick up the ventilation issues.
RESOLVED:
That the update be noted.