Chris Woods, client development manager at IRT Surveys, part of the Mears Group, explores how better housing data can help social landlords access funding, prioritise retrofits and deliver better outcomes.
While making social homes healthier, greener and more energy efficient is a national priority, it is an ambitious task that comes with a hefty price tag. Currently, a quarter of social homes in the UK – around 1.1 million properties – fall below EPC Band C. To retrofit these properties to the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard will cost an estimated £16 billion, a figure that would rise to £104 billion if the goal is to achieve net zero.
Yet the need to act is growing. Rising energy costs, net zero targets and the impact of poor housing conditions on tenant health are putting local authorities and housing associations under increasing pressure to retrofit their housing stock. Recent government figures show that 2.36 million households are currently in fuel poverty. At the same time, a report by the Building Research Establishment found that the NHS spends almost £900 million a year treating illnesses linked to housing defects that subject residents to excess cold and damp.
The Government’s Warm Homes Plan presents a significant opportunity to deliver much-needed improvements to social housing stock. With £15 billion set to be invested and an ambition to upgrade five million homes by 2030, it could provide local authorities and housing associations with valuable support towards improving energy efficiency and reducing fuel poverty.
However, with funding based on local need and preparedness to deliver, those with accurate and informed housing data will be better positioned to access funding quickly.
Compiling the evidence
With the Warm Homes funding framework focused on the needs of neighbourhoods rather than individual properties, social housing providers will need a detailed and reliable understanding of their housing stock.
The most useful data should answer three fundamental questions: which properties are performing poorly, where the greatest opportunities for energy savings lie, and which interventions are likely to deliver the greatest impact.
Accurate data is vital because, beyond providing evidence for funding applications, it gives housing providers a comprehensive picture of their portfolio, which can help them develop targeted retrofit programmes that align with asset management objectives and long-term decarbonisation strategies.
But gathering data is not always straightforward. Housing providers often hold data across multiple systems and formats, with varying levels of detail and accuracy. Relevant insights can come from a range of sources, including thermal imaging surveys, EPC information, stock condition data, asset management system integrations, and other property datasets. Bringing these together into a single, reliable view is essential for effective decision-making.
Specialist modelling software, such as DREam, can combine and analyse these multiple data sources to create a single view of housing performance, enabling social landlords to identify where individual measures will deliver the greatest benefit and where investment should be targeted across the wider portfolio to maximise both funding opportunities and long-term value.
Prioritising interventions
With a clear picture of housing performance, local authorities and housing associations can plan targeted programmes around identified need rather than a blanket approach to retrofit. Crucially, they will also be able to ensure their projects meet the Warm Homes funding requirements.
A clear picture of property performance, potential energy savings, and likely return on investment will give decision-makers greater confidence that funding will be used where it can deliver measurable improvements for residents and the wider housing stock.
The value of data also extends beyond the planning stage. Once projects are underway, advanced modelling software can help monitor installation progress and energy-saving improvements, keeping projects on track and cost-effective while providing evidence that targets have been met.
Delivering better outcomes
Social housing providers are responsible for decarbonising a significant proportion of the UK’s housing stock, making the ability to make informed investment decisions at scale increasingly important. Accurate, reliable data provides the foundation for doing this effectively, helping providers understand where investment is most needed and how it can deliver the greatest impact.
When available data is combined and analysed using advanced software, local authorities and housing associations can make more informed decisions about their housing portfolios. These insights not only strengthen funding applications but also support asset management decisions, effective retrofit interventions, and long-term decarbonisation programmes.
Importantly, the value of this approach extends beyond this. By directing investment towards the homes and measures where they can make the greatest difference, social landlords can maximise the benefits of retrofit for both their organisations and their tenants.
Ultimately, better data can help deliver healthier, more energy-efficient homes, reduce energy costs for residents and help tackle fuel poverty, while maximising the impact of available funding to deliver lasting value.