The BBC reported today that nearly two thirds of UK homes fail to meet long-term energy efficiency targets.
More than 12 million homes fall below the C grade on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) graded from A-G. It means householders spend more on energy bills and pump tonnes more CO2 into the atmosphere than necessary.
The UK Government is bound by the 2016 Paris Climate Treaty (UNFCCC) and has passed an amendment to the 2008 Climate Change Act in June 2019 that commits the UK to net zero by 2050. Implementing these commitments will require a huge investment in carbon saving measures across the whole economy, including a significant reduction in carbon used by the housing and wider building sectors. The UK government itself admits it needs to go “much further and faster” to improve the energy performance of homes; and Dr Tim Forman, a research academic at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Sustainable Development, says now only a national project of a scale not seen since World War Two, would be enough to help Great Britain meet its 2050 net zero carbon target.
New homes, offices and factories will be built to significantly more stringent standards; existing building stock will need to be improved; and local infrastructure will need to be redesigned and upgraded.
But the big challenge is to figure out which homes are the most in need and what measures to take. Data is often inaccurate. Funding sources are bureaucratic and subject to rapid change. Few householders and landlords are adequately informed and motivated to take action.
So it’s very fortunate that Shackleton investee, IRT, has now launched a software tool to help local authorities, housing associations and commercial landlords to better prioritize their portfolio of projects, identify suitable funding, and deliver more effective results.
