Barriers to retrofitting privately owned homes: call for evidence

Closed 2 Dec 2021

Opened 12 Nov 2021

Contact

Beate Hellawell

(Scrutiny Manager)

beate.hellawell@lewisham.gov.uk

Feedback updated 15 Nov 2022

We asked

This consultation focused on exploring the barriers home-owners face to retrofitting their home to make them more energy efficient. Privately owned housing is responsible for the largest proportion of household carbon emissions in Lewisham, and a councillor-initiated project was setup to establish how the Council could support residents to overcome these issues.

You said

There were 287 survey responses. About 40% of respondents hadn’t done any retrofitting work in the last two years and 20% had never done any. Draught proofing and insulations were the most commonly completed retrofits. Most respondents considered partial retrofits ‘as and when’ repairs and upgrades become necessary. Increasing comfort and the climate emergency were identified as the most common motivators, with reducing costs a close third. The greatest barriers identified were finding reliable contractors and the fear of escalating costs. Not knowing where to get good advice from, and the perception that technology is not good enough yet to make it worth investing in were also highlighted.

We did

New governance arrangements supporting the ambition for the Council to be net zero carbon by 2030 have been approved by the Executive Management Team and a new internal officer Climate Emergency Board is being set up. A draft Retrofit Strategy will be presented to Housing Select Committee (Q1 2023/24). Guidance is being produced for retrofit which will be presented as a dedicated page on the Council website. A guide for tenants moving into retrofitted homes will be provided with the consultants/contractor designing and carrying out the works tasked with producing a draft for the Housing department to approve. A new community investment scheme has been launched with the aim of generating £1m for local projects to help tackle the Climate Emergency.

Overview

Privately owned housing is responsible for the largest proportion of household carbon emissions in Lewisham. Many of those homes tend to be older and would benefit from improvements and updates to their insulation and energy efficiency. Retrofitting is described as the act of fitting new systems (windows, heating, insulation, etc.) designed for high energy efficiency and low energy consumption to buildings previously built without them.

This call for evidence aims to explore the principal barriers to retrofitting privately owned homes in Lewisham and consider potential options for overcoming these. It seeks to address the following questions:

  • What are the current experiences of householders in the borough with regards to retrofitting their homes?
  • What are the main issues and barriers for owner occupiers who want to retrofit their homes?
  • What do owner occupiers need in order to overcome these barriers?
  • What are potential options for the Council to support residents with overcoming these barriers?

This survey is intended for home owners with property in the London Borough of Lewisham.

Why your views matter

This home owner engagement project is part of a larger Councillor-initiated project on retrofitting housing stock in Lewisham. Privately owned housing is responsible for the largest proportion of household carbon emissions in the borough. Home owners tend to live in larger and older homes – many of which would benefit from improvements and updates to their insulation and energy efficiency. Whilst this is an area over which the Council has limited leverage, research indicates that residents are concerned about the climate emergency and that they are willing to take action to mitigate its effects. The aim of the project is to explore the principal barriers to retrofit privately owned housing in Lewisham and consider potential options for overcoming these.

What happens next

The evidence gathered from this consultation will feed into a substantial report about retrofitting housing in Lewisham in response to the climate emergency. The report is due to be published by the end of February 2022 and will offer policy recommendations and action points that will be considered by Mayor and Cabinet during 2022.

Areas

  • Bellingham
  • Blackheath
  • Brockley
  • Catford South
  • Crofton Park
  • Downham
  • Evelyn
  • Forest Hill
  • Grove Park
  • Ladywell
  • Lee Green
  • Lewisham Central
  • Perry Vale
  • Rushey Green
  • Sydenham
  • Telegraph Hill

Audiences

  • Lewisham residents

Interests

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Planning
  • Environment
  • Housing and homelessness