In the wake of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech on the planned changes to the government’s net zero policy, it's imperative that we reflect on the broader context of our journey towards a sustainable future.

The key target of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050 is a legally binding commitment that should be unaffected by the ebb and flow of political tides. Our belief is resolute: the sooner we embark on the path to decarbonise our economy, particularly within the housing sector, the more cost-effective and transformative the outcome will be.

These adjustments significantly increase the challenge of meeting the UK’s legally mandated emissions targets and may delay further those housing providers that have not yet started their decarbonisation journey. The wider effects are curtailing job opportunities in the sector in which there is a serious skills shortage already, compromising energy savings, and prolonging high energy costs for tenants.

At NetZero Collective, our approach to planning with clients has always been centred on their personal net-zero targets, many of which are set to be achieved well before the 2050 deadline. We understand that proactive planning and strategic investments are essential components of any successful decarbonisation endeavour.

For landlords now contemplating a delay in their decarbonisation plans following the government announcement, it’s crucial to recognise the potential repercussions. The United Kingdom currently possesses some of Europe’s coldest, most energy-inefficient homes, underscoring the significance of implementing a nationwide retrofit programme without delay.

While it’s positive news that the grants to help households with the costs of replacing their gas boilers with heat pumps have been increased, we must note that our housing stock remains far from where it needs to be in terms of energy efficiency.

Some have been pinning their hopes on hydrogen as a viable alternative – but numerous studies have concluded that hydrogen is unsuitable for home heating and it’s significantly less energy-efficient compared to electric heating alternatives like heat pumps.

As we anticipate another challenging winter for many households, people will continue to grapple with the harsh realities of heating their homes and maintaining comfortable living conditions.

Working in partnership with councils on their retrofit journey, we frequently see tenants benefiting financially from thanks to solar panels, battery storage, and air-source heat pumps installed in their homes. These measures deliver long-term benefits that improve people’s homes, making them fit for the future while potentially saving them money on energy bills.

Beyond the immediate financial considerations, decarbonising homes presents landlords with a unique opportunity to positively impact their tenants and the local economy. These investments create local high-skilled jobs within the construction sector and enhance energy efficiency which can reduce tenants’ fuel bills and improving their overall quality of life.

So, as political landscapes shift and policy priorities evolve, the pragmatic course of action remains clear: to continue investing in decarbonisation where feasible and work collaboratively towards the shared goal of achieving the net-zero 2050 targets.

While the government’s stance on decarbonisation may fluctuate, our commitment to a sustainable future remains steadfast. Collective action from the housing sector today will pave the way for a more environmentally responsible and economically viable tomorrow.

Together with low-carbon energy specialists and academic research partners including the University of Southampton, NetZero Collective is supporting landlords across the UK to produce evidence-based decarbonisation plans, aligned to PAS2035 and PAS2038.

NetZero Collective secures two-year retrofit contract with leading supported housing provider

NetZero Collective has been awarded a multi-year contract to provide retrofit services to one of the country’s leading supported housing providers, Golden Lane Housing.

Marking a brand-new partnership for NetZero Collective, the project will see the improvement of 75 homes in both the North West and South West regions.

Commencing this summer, the £140,000 project will take place over two years and will incorporate retrofit advice, assessment and coordination and post-installation evaluation.

NetZero Collective secured the contract following a mini competition run via Procure Plus.

Golden Lane is an expert provider of supported housing for people with a learning disability or autistic people.

NetZero Collective is working in close partnership with the organisation’s communications team to ensure tenants are fully informed about the plans including via materials in accessible formats.

The team are experts in decarbonising buildings and are known for their work supporting social landlords to make their homes net zero. Their surveys use cutting-edge technologies and industry best practices to identify ways to reduce emissions and make buildings more energy efficient.

Neil Waite, Managing Director of NetZero Collective, said; “It’s a pleasure to be able to support Golden Lane Housing and their communities in their journey to net zero.

“We are proud to be at the forefront of sustainable solutions and it’s positive to be embarking on a new partnership.”

Keith Henderson, Head of Assets at Golden Lane Housing who is leading on the project says: “With the impact of rising energy prices on UK households, Golden Lane Housing is committed to supporting our tenants through the cost-of-living crisis.

“One of the ways we’re doing this is through improving the environmental performance of our tenants’ homes to make them more fuel efficient and in turn help tenants with saving money on their energy bills.”

Together with low-carbon energy specialists and academic research partners including the University of Southampton, NetZero Collective is supporting landlords across the UK to produce evidence-based decarbonisation plans, aligned to PAS2035 and PAS2038.

NetZero Collective has been awarded a contract by Crawley Borough Council to complete survey works on 19 non-residential buildings in the local area.

The aim is to analyse Crawley Borough Council’s commercial buildings to assess their energy efficiency and identify opportunities for decarbonisation.

One of the key buildings included in this contract is the renowned K2 Crawley Leisure Centre, managed by Everyone Active on behalf of Crawley Borough Council, which is the largest council-owned building in the town and is at the heart of the Crawley community.

NetZero Collective are experts in decarbonising buildings, known for their work supporting social landlords, to make their homes net zero. Their surveys use cutting-edge technologies and industry best practices to identify ways to reduce emissions and make buildings more energy efficient.

For example, recommendations may include installing solar panels, electric vehicle charging points and installing greener alternatives to gas-fired boilers, such as ground-source or air-source heat pumps.

In addition, NetZero Collective’s subcontractor, CoreLogic UK, is conducting visual and measured surveys of the buildings, utilising advanced Matterport 3D scanning technology, which creates digital twins of buildings.

Incredibly the 3D scan of the K2 Crawley Leisure Centre, completed in May 2023, stands as Europe’s largest Matterport 3D scan. This comprehensive scan provides a complete 3D visual representation of the building, inside and out, which will be instrumental in facilitating future decarbonisation plans for the building.

“NetZero Collective is proud to be at the forefront of sustainable solutions and harnessing cutting-edge technology like that offered by CoreLogic UK. It’s great to be building on our existing partnership with Crawley Borough Council and to continue collaborating on their journey toward achieving carbon neutrality,” says, Neil Waite, Managing Director of NetZero Collective.

“This project marks another significant step toward a greener future and exemplifies NetZero Collective’s commitment to providing innovative and impactful services.”

Last year, NetZero Collective worked on a retrofit programme for Crawley Borough Council that saw 10 homes benefit from renewable technologies.

Councillor Bob Noyce, Cabinet member for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change at Crawley Borough Council, said: “We have ambitious carbon reduction targets and this study of 19 of our buildings is a major step towards meeting them.

“We have a duty to ensure that K2 Crawley and other council-owned buildings are as energy efficient as possible so I look forward to seeing the recommendations from NetZero Collective.”

David Price, Managing Director of CoreLogic UK (ehouse) said: “Having the largest network of Matterport capture technicians in the UK, we have produced thousands of digital twins for all kinds of spaces, but this project has been our most challenging and biggest to date, covering 180,000sqft and according to Matterport, the biggest single digital twin in Europe.

“Using the latest Matterport technology with fast capture capability, our highly trained operatives have been able to capture a seamless 3D digital twin of the entire leisure facility, completed in 1937 scans over seven days, making it an efficient method to survey a building of this scale.”

Together with low-carbon energy specialists and academic research partners including the University of Southampton, NetZero Collective is supporting landlords across the UK to produce evidence-based decarbonisation plans, aligned to PAS2035 and PAS2038.

NetZero Collective wins place on major framework to help deliver its decarbonisation mission

NetZero Collective, has been awarded a place on the 7-year, £1.5bn Greener Futures Partnership (GFP) decarbonisation delivery framework, recently launched by Pretium Frameworks and GFP.

By sharing their expertise in decarbonising homes, NetZero Collective will advise framework users on how to achieve net zero through retrofit and decarbonisation works to their homes as well as plan and programme manage decarbonisation programmes.

The GFP is made up of five member organisations, including Abri Group Ltd, Anchor Hanover Group, Home Group Ltd, Hyde Group, and Sanctuary Housing Association. Together they manage around 300,000 homes across England, Wales, and Scotland.

GFP partners won all three bids submitted in SHDF wave one with local authorities, securing £5.2m of grant funding for 461 properties, as well as successfully bidding for a further £40.4m, in SHDF wave 2 through a joint consortium bid including all five partners.

Initial work awarded by the GFP partners through the decarbonisation delivery framework will be connected to the wave 2 funding to retrofit over 5,000 homes.

Notably, the framework is also accessible to other social housing providers.

“We are thrilled to be awarded a place the Greener Futures Partnership framework” said Neil Waite, Director of NetZero Collective.

“Securing this is testament to our team of experts, who are dedicated to achieving a sustainable future. Together with like-minded organisations, we will continue to work with landlords to make all buildings fit for the future while contributing to the UK’s net-zero targets and mitigating the impact of climate change.

“This is just the beginning of what we can achieve together, and we look forward to further collaboration with our partners.”

Jessica John, Director of Framework Partnerships at Pretium Frameworks, said: “We’re delighted to be launching this much-needed new framework for the delivery of decarbonisation works and services, which provides the perfect vehicle for supporting the housing sector to tackle the sustainability challenge and meet Government targets.

“We will be hitting the ground running, with an immediate pipeline of work, following Sanctuary’s successful SHDF Wave 2 bid, as the lead member for GFP, which secured a £40.4m grant funding contribution towards the £90m wave 2 programme.

“We’re also in discussions with several organisations who haven’t yet spent their wave one SHDF funding, as they’ve been unable to find a suitable route to market, to deliver the work types.”

Together with low-carbon energy specialists and academic research partners including the University of Southampton, NetZero Collective is supporting landlords across the UK to produce evidence-based decarbonisation plans, aligned to PAS2035 and PAS2038.

The stats say it all: Debunking decarbonisation myths with Matt Hodges, Energy and Sustainability Manager at NetZero Collective

I often hear people questioning the housing sector’s ability to decarbonise homes to meet the UK’s 2050 net-zero targets.

At NetZero Collective, we advise housing providers and property services businesses across the UK on how to achieve net zero. I wholeheartedly believe that all kinds of homes can reduce their emissions to help the planet.

Misconceptions about electrically powered heating systems being ineffective without additional insulation, and that it will increase fuel bills and worsen fuel poverty, come up time and again.

And yet, the retrofitting trials we have worked on in partnership with Crawley Borough Council are squarely challenging these two decarbonisation myths.

Over the last 18 months, we’ve worked on and monitored four homes in Crawley, which already have double glazing and good levels of insulation, including cavity wall insulation and 300mm of loft insulation.

Our work involved fitting them out with solar PV panels, storage batteries and air-source heat pumps, but the retrofit didn’t include any other improvements to the homes.

The results of the project have reinforced our view that there are still real benefits to retrofitting homes like these in Crawley that already have decent levels of insulation – we’ve found our work increased levels of energy efficiency and saved the tenants money on their fuel bills.

Innovative air-source heat pumps use electricity to extract heat from the air outside and create warmth in the home via hot water in radiators. While most of us are used to a quick blast of heating with very hot radiators, these operate at a lower, more consistent temperature compared to gas heating systems, increasing system efficiency whilst still creating a warm and comfortable environment for the resident.

We noticed that tenants were keeping warm, and even chose to lower the room thermostat set-point temperature despite the season change from autumn to winter as the consistent temperature delivered by the air-source heat pumps allowed the tenants to be comfortable at lower room temperatures.

Overall, the heat pump technology, combined with solar PV and battery storage, provides a more efficient way to heat a home and does not make it any more reliant on additional insulation than a gas boiler.

This leads me to the next myth about electrically powered heating systems: that it will cost tenants more, pushing more families into fuel poverty – a very topical issue that we take really seriously.

The trial has backed up our predictions about bills. Figures from the homes in Crawley are proving that electricity usage didn’t rocket.

By complementing the heat pumps with solar PV panels and battery storage, it’s creating ‘free’ energy that counteracts bill increases, on top of removing gas bills.

One of the Crawley homes, where Glenn Mead’s family lives, has seen their electricity usage remain steady despite the shift to an air-source heat pump, thanks to their new solar PV panels and battery. Glenn has told us how incredibly pleased he is to now be saving around £80 a month on energy bills.

It’s worth noting too that the retrofit work happened during winter – so come spring, cost savings will only go up.

Although I can’t promise the same for everyone (it depends on habits and comfort levels), another family is making savings even after their electricity usage went up by about 50%. Although they’re paying about £38 a month more for electricity, it has been more than offset by not having gas bills anymore, saving them around £56 a month.

Fabric-first is the mantra for new builds and retrofit programmes, and it makes sense to reduce energy demand before looking at heating system changes. But for homes where further fabric improvements may not be possible, our trials have proven that an effective combination of technological measures can be deployed to achieve tangible carbon savings whilst saving tenants money on their fuel bills.

Our trial in Crawley is debunking decarbonisation myths, proving that new technology like air-source heat pumps can make a positive difference. We’ve proved it won’t push families into fuel poverty and in many cases, the combination of electric heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage, is improving tenants’ finances – unlike ageing gas boilers.

But retrofitting goes beyond saving tenants money. It is making homes that are fit for the future while contributing to the UK’s net-zero targets to help save the planet.

The stats say it all: Debunking decarbonisation myths with Matt Hodges, Energy and Sustainability Manager at NetZero Collective

I often hear people questioning the housing sector’s ability to decarbonise homes to meet the UK’s 2050 net-zero targets.

At NetZero Collective, we advise housing providers and property services businesses across the UK on how to achieve net zero. I wholeheartedly believe that all kinds of homes can reduce their emissions to help the planet.

Misconceptions about electrically powered heating systems being ineffective without additional insulation, and that it will increase fuel bills and worsen fuel poverty, come up time and again.

And yet, the retrofitting trials we have worked on in partnership with Crawley Borough Council are squarely challenging these two decarbonisation myths.

Over the last 18 months, we’ve worked on and monitored four homes in Crawley, which already have double glazing and good levels of insulation, including cavity wall insulation and 300mm of loft insulation.

Our work involved fitting them out with solar PV panels, storage batteries and air-source heat pumps, but the retrofit didn’t include any other improvements to the homes.

The results of the project have reinforced our view that there are still real benefits to retrofitting homes like these in Crawley that already have decent levels of insulation – we’ve found our work increased levels of energy efficiency and saved the tenants money on their fuel bills.

Innovative air-source heat pumps use electricity to extract heat from the air outside and create warmth in the home via hot water in radiators. While most of us are used to a quick blast of heating with very hot radiators, these operate at a lower, more consistent temperature compared to gas heating systems, increasing system efficiency whilst still creating a warm and comfortable environment for the resident.

We noticed that tenants were keeping warm, and even chose to lower the room thermostat set-point temperature despite the season change from autumn to winter as the consistent temperature delivered by the air-source heat pumps allowed the tenants to be comfortable at lower room temperatures.

Overall, the heat pump technology, combined with solar PV and battery storage, provides a more efficient way to heat a home and does not make it any more reliant on additional insulation than a gas boiler.

This leads me to the next myth about electrically powered heating systems: that it will cost tenants more, pushing more families into fuel poverty – a very topical issue that we take really seriously.

The trial has backed up our predictions about bills. Figures from the homes in Crawley are proving that electricity usage didn’t rocket.

By complementing the heat pumps with solar PV panels and battery storage, it’s creating ‘free’ energy that counteracts bill increases, on top of removing gas bills.

One of the Crawley homes, where Glenn Mead’s family lives, has seen their electricity usage remain steady despite the shift to an air-source heat pump, thanks to their new solar PV panels and battery. Glenn has told us how incredibly pleased he is to now be saving around £80 a month on energy bills.

It’s worth noting too that the retrofit work happened during winter – so come spring, cost savings will only go up.

Although I can’t promise the same for everyone (it depends on habits and comfort levels), another family is making savings even after their electricity usage went up by about 50%. Although they’re paying about £38 a month more for electricity, it has been more than offset by not having gas bills anymore, saving them around £56 a month.

Fabric-first is the mantra for new builds and retrofit programmes, and it makes sense to reduce energy demand before looking at heating system changes. But for homes where further fabric improvements may not be possible, our trials have proven that an effective combination of technological measures can be deployed to achieve tangible carbon savings whilst saving tenants money on their fuel bills.

Our trial in Crawley is debunking decarbonisation myths, proving that new technology like air-source heat pumps can make a positive difference. We’ve proved it won’t push families into fuel poverty and in many cases, the combination of electric heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage, is improving tenants’ finances – unlike ageing gas boilers.

But retrofitting goes beyond saving tenants money. It is making homes that are fit for the future while contributing to the UK’s net-zero targets to help save the planet.

The stats say it all: Debunking decarbonisation myths with Matt Hodges, Energy and Sustainability Manager at NetZero Collective

I often hear people questioning the housing sector’s ability to decarbonise homes to meet the UK’s 2050 net-zero targets.

At NetZero Collective, we advise housing providers and property services businesses across the UK on how to achieve net zero. I wholeheartedly believe that all kinds of homes can reduce their emissions to help the planet.

Misconceptions about electrically powered heating systems being ineffective without additional insulation, and that it will increase fuel bills and worsen fuel poverty, come up time and again.

And yet, the retrofitting trials we have worked on in partnership with Crawley Borough Council are squarely challenging these two decarbonisation myths.

Over the last 18 months, we’ve worked on and monitored four homes in Crawley, which already have double glazing and good levels of insulation, including cavity wall insulation and 300mm of loft insulation.

Our work involved fitting them out with solar PV panels, storage batteries and air-source heat pumps, but the retrofit didn’t include any other improvements to the homes.

The results of the project have reinforced our view that there are still real benefits to retrofitting homes like these in Crawley that already have decent levels of insulation – we’ve found our work increased levels of energy efficiency and saved the tenants money on their fuel bills.

Innovative air-source heat pumps use electricity to extract heat from the air outside and create warmth in the home via hot water in radiators. While most of us are used to a quick blast of heating with very hot radiators, these operate at a lower, more consistent temperature compared to gas heating systems, increasing system efficiency whilst still creating a warm and comfortable environment for the resident.

We noticed that tenants were keeping warm, and even chose to lower the room thermostat set-point temperature despite the season change from autumn to winter as the consistent temperature delivered by the air-source heat pumps allowed the tenants to be comfortable at lower room temperatures.

Overall, the heat pump technology, combined with solar PV and battery storage, provides a more efficient way to heat a home and does not make it any more reliant on additional insulation than a gas boiler.

This leads me to the next myth about electrically powered heating systems: that it will cost tenants more, pushing more families into fuel poverty – a very topical issue that we take really seriously.

The trial has backed up our predictions about bills. Figures from the homes in Crawley are proving that electricity usage didn’t rocket.

By complementing the heat pumps with solar PV panels and battery storage, it’s creating ‘free’ energy that counteracts bill increases, on top of removing gas bills.

One of the Crawley homes, where Glenn Mead’s family lives, has seen their electricity usage remain steady despite the shift to an air-source heat pump, thanks to their new solar PV panels and battery. Glenn has told us how incredibly pleased he is to now be saving around £80 a month on energy bills.

It’s worth noting too that the retrofit work happened during winter – so come spring, cost savings will only go up.

Although I can’t promise the same for everyone (it depends on habits and comfort levels), another family is making savings even after their electricity usage went up by about 50%. Although they’re paying about £38 a month more for electricity, it has been more than offset by not having gas bills anymore, saving them around £56 a month.

Fabric-first is the mantra for new builds and retrofit programmes, and it makes sense to reduce energy demand before looking at heating system changes. But for homes where further fabric improvements may not be possible, our trials have proven that an effective combination of technological measures can be deployed to achieve tangible carbon savings whilst saving tenants money on their fuel bills.

Our trial in Crawley is debunking decarbonisation myths, proving that new technology like air-source heat pumps can make a positive difference. We’ve proved it won’t push families into fuel poverty and in many cases, the combination of electric heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage, is improving tenants’ finances – unlike ageing gas boilers.

But retrofitting goes beyond saving tenants money. It is making homes that are fit for the future while contributing to the UK’s net-zero targets to help save the planet.

The stats say it all: Debunking decarbonisation myths with Matt Hodges, Energy and Sustainability Manager at NetZero Collective

I often hear people questioning the housing sector’s ability to decarbonise homes to meet the UK’s 2050 net-zero targets.

At NetZero Collective, we advise housing providers and property services businesses across the UK on how to achieve net zero. I wholeheartedly believe that all kinds of homes can reduce their emissions to help the planet.

Misconceptions about electrically powered heating systems being ineffective without additional insulation, and that it will increase fuel bills and worsen fuel poverty, come up time and again.

And yet, the retrofitting trials we have worked on in partnership with Crawley Borough Council are squarely challenging these two decarbonisation myths.

Over the last 18 months, we’ve worked on and monitored four homes in Crawley, which already have double glazing and good levels of insulation, including cavity wall insulation and 300mm of loft insulation.

Our work involved fitting them out with solar PV panels, storage batteries and air-source heat pumps, but the retrofit didn’t include any other improvements to the homes.

The results of the project have reinforced our view that there are still real benefits to retrofitting homes like these in Crawley that already have decent levels of insulation – we’ve found our work increased levels of energy efficiency and saved the tenants money on their fuel bills.

Innovative air-source heat pumps use electricity to extract heat from the air outside and create warmth in the home via hot water in radiators. While most of us are used to a quick blast of heating with very hot radiators, these operate at a lower, more consistent temperature compared to gas heating systems, increasing system efficiency whilst still creating a warm and comfortable environment for the resident.

We noticed that tenants were keeping warm, and even chose to lower the room thermostat set-point temperature despite the season change from autumn to winter as the consistent temperature delivered by the air-source heat pumps allowed the tenants to be comfortable at lower room temperatures.

Overall, the heat pump technology, combined with solar PV and battery storage, provides a more efficient way to heat a home and does not make it any more reliant on additional insulation than a gas boiler.

This leads me to the next myth about electrically powered heating systems: that it will cost tenants more, pushing more families into fuel poverty – a very topical issue that we take really seriously.

The trial has backed up our predictions about bills. Figures from the homes in Crawley are proving that electricity usage didn’t rocket.

By complementing the heat pumps with solar PV panels and battery storage, it’s creating ‘free’ energy that counteracts bill increases, on top of removing gas bills.

One of the Crawley homes, where Glenn Mead’s family lives, has seen their electricity usage remain steady despite the shift to an air-source heat pump, thanks to their new solar PV panels and battery. Glenn has told us how incredibly pleased he is to now be saving around £80 a month on energy bills.

It’s worth noting too that the retrofit work happened during winter – so come spring, cost savings will only go up.

Although I can’t promise the same for everyone (it depends on habits and comfort levels), another family is making savings even after their electricity usage went up by about 50%. Although they’re paying about £38 a month more for electricity, it has been more than offset by not having gas bills anymore, saving them around £56 a month.

Fabric-first is the mantra for new builds and retrofit programmes, and it makes sense to reduce energy demand before looking at heating system changes. But for homes where further fabric improvements may not be possible, our trials have proven that an effective combination of technological measures can be deployed to achieve tangible carbon savings whilst saving tenants money on their fuel bills.

Our trial in Crawley is debunking decarbonisation myths, proving that new technology like air-source heat pumps can make a positive difference. We’ve proved it won’t push families into fuel poverty and in many cases, the combination of electric heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage, is improving tenants’ finances – unlike ageing gas boilers.

But retrofitting goes beyond saving tenants money. It is making homes that are fit for the future while contributing to the UK’s net-zero targets to help save the planet.