Presentation on Improving Energy Efficiency in Flatted Dwellings by James Traynor (ECD) at NEA Fuel Poverty Forum. - ECD Architects - Presentation on Improving Energy Efficiency in Flatted Dwellings by James Traynor (ECD) at NEA Fuel Poverty Forum.

 James presented the results of the research recently carried out for Westminster City Council and Dolphin Square Foundation into Energy Efficiency in Private Flatted Dwellings. The overall objectives of the research were to reduce CO2 emissions and to reduce fuel poverty. The more specific aims of the study were to explore the legal, financial, social and practical obstacles to implementing energy efficiency measures in the private residential sector. UK householders are currently responsible for 28% of UK CO2 emissions and in London homes are currently responsible of 38% of all the city’s CO2 emissions.

The Government has identified housing as a key sector to reduce CO2 emissions and reach climate change reduction targets. The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan (2009) requires CO2 emissions (from heating) in the domestic sector to fall from 13% to virtually zero by 2050. It identifies a range measures to support improvements to energy efficiency including: Smart metering; finance options; community scale action; self-help support, etc, to support the ‘Great British Refurb’. Announced in February 2009 this consultation document calls for all homes to have undergone a ‘Whole House’ refurbishment of energy saving measures by 2030. That includes a comprehensive package of measures to address CO2 emissions.

In Westminster there are currently a total of 86,500 private sector homes with an average SAP rating of 58 in 2001. However one of the key challenges in Westminster to addressing this issue is the nature and location of the properties involved as the makeup of the housing stock varies considerably from the national average. Approximately 90% of dwellings are flats rather than houses (nationally the converse is true in approximate terms). Westminster contains a large private rented sector – some three times the national average and contains a much higher proportion of stock that is listed or in a conservation area.

Furthermore the stock is older than the national average and has a disproportionate number of buildings with solid walls and a significant number of domestic dwellings with flat roofs. The Rugg Review completed in 2008 indentifies the state of the current UK private housing rental sector and in particular the challenges facing upgrade of this stock including: Poor/ unregulated management; ignorance of statutory requirements; low standards; older housing stock; higher yields on poor quality housing and short-term tenures. All of these issues need to be addressed in any serious attempt to introduce energy efficiency measures generally and in Westminster in particular.

A common (but not universal) feature of landlord and tenant law in England and Wales is that long leases contain provision for the respective obligations and rights of the freeholder and long leaseholder in respect of repair and maintenance but are silent on the matter of improvements. In order to carry out works to common parts of the building it is necessary for all leaseholders and the freeholder to agree to carry out these works and for the leaseholders to agree to fund the works plus future maintenance requirements.

All of the above present challenges to the improvement of the energy efficiency of the housing stock and Westminster City Council residents have as a result received a limited amount of nationally and locally available energy efficiency resources for retro-fitting the private sector housing stock. Given the wide ranging and complex nature of the research required, including the process of resident involvement and selection of suitable properties it was clear that a systematic and methodical approach would be required.

Working closely with the client the project team identified the following processes by which this research should be carried out:
1. To identify six flatted buildings
2. To liaise with freeholders to secure commitment to explore improvement options.
3. Contact occupiers via an introductory letter explaining the project and service on offer.
4. Provide participating leaseholders with personalised advice about the potential energy efficiency improvements within their individual flats.
5. Provide verbal and written guidance to the freeholder and leaseholder for each building regarding the process for consulting their respective lawyers regarding alterations to their individual leases.
6. Provide leaseholder with written and verbal guidance on how to obtain financial assistance towards the building works and any associated legal costs.

Having prepared detailed assessments for each property with proposals for improvements and collated legal, financial and technical data, ECD then met with leaseholders and freeholders to discuss options for uptake. The Phase 2 work will involve the implementation of some of proposed phase 1 works in one of the selected properties to demonstrate the challenges to improved energy efficiency and how these might be overcome.

The results of this wide-ranging research will be used by Westminster City Council to lobby central Government for targeted assistance to deal with these complex issues to address the barriers to wide scale uptake of energy efficiency measures in private sector flatted dwellings. This approach will ultimately deal with both fuel poverty and carbon reduction targets whilst addressing both the planning issues associated with historic buildings and legal issues associated with flatted buildings.

To see a copy of this document, please click here.