How can we cut our carbon emissions and make England’s homes fit for purpose?

In 2018, an estimated 17,000 people died due to cold homes. Cold, draughty houses take a huge toll on the lives of people living in them and can cause or worsen a range of health conditions. On top of the shocking human cost, the poor quality of England’s homes is also a major obstacle to cutting greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 – so it’s surprising that so little action has been taken so far by the government to address the issue.

But that’s not to say nothing is being done. Regional and smaller-scale initiatives could pave the way for greater national action to improve the quality and energy-efficiency of homes. Lendology CIC was set up fifteen years ago to help homeowners finance home improvements and repairs. Today, they are responsible for lending funds on behalf of 18 local councils across the South West to people whose homes are in need of essential repairs. Over the last 15 years, they’ve lent over £16 million; £9 million has been paid back so far and is available for re-lending. These loans are available with the same interest rate (4%) to all applicants, regardless of their age or credit history, and they're a vital lifeline in enabling people to live safely and comfortably in their home.

Lendology say they are ready to expand: they have recently invested in their back-office systems and could feasibly operate on behalf of all councils across the UK. They would employ local loans advisors to deliver the face-to-face visits that some vulnerable clients need, but the telephone-based work they have been doing during the pandemic means their team can be based anywhere in the country and support clients nationwide. They say the councils they speak to would all like Lendology to operate in their area – but they lack the funds and aren’t able to borrow at low enough rates for Lendology to be able to offer a low rate to clients. Instead, they say, funding from central government would allow them to extend their reach and support more of the people who need it.

The Northern Housing Consortium also has solutions to the problem of energy efficient homes that are ready to go. In the north, around a quarter of carbon emissions come from existing homes – which needs to change in order to meet the government’s emissions targets. They say there is a real opportunity for the government to deliver two priorities at once – net zero, and levelling-up – through a programme of decarbonising homes in the North. The consortium has developed a plan, Northern Powerhomes, which would see the creation of 77,000 green jobs across the north while improving millions of homes. This would involve retrofitting measures in five million homes; fitting 4.5 million homes with heat pump technology to decarbonise their heating source; and connecting a further million homes to a shared heating system. The plan would start with social housing, in order to get up to scale quickly, expand capacity, and reduce costs for other tenures in due course.

Like Lendology, the Northern Housing Consortium is ready to get to work and is already seeking to deliver elements of their Northern Powerhomes plan that are within their control – for example, developing a regional housing decarbonisation ‘menu’ to set out the types of work likely to be required in homes in the north. There are many other examples of organisations with the tools, ideas and enthusiasm needed to decarbonise England’s homes, reach net zero and improve millions of lives across the way. As part of the Good Home Inquiry, we’re looking carefully at all these initiatives and how they might be part of the revolution needed to overhaul the nation’s housing stock. What’s clear, however, is that the will is there – and it needs to be matched by a long-term strategic vision and investment government to harness it.