The National Home Decarbonisation Group (NHDG) has set out a 10-point plan it says ministers must heed if they are to successfully deliver Labour’s energy efficiency and retrofit commitments.
The NHDG, which was established in 2023, represents Tier 1 contractors and energy suppliers that specialise in retrofit residential decarbonisation at scale.
The group aims to coordinate businesses that provide residential decarbonisation at scale across all tenures of UK housing, and focuses on three core areas: Skills, innovation, and policy.
Derek Horrocks, the NHDG’s chair, said: “There is an opportunity for the Labour government to bring further scale and ambition to foundations that are already working, while bringing fresh ideas and impetus to parts of the retrofit market that are not.
“A great deal of thought has gone into the manifesto and priorities of this new Labour government with commitments to invest an extra £6.6bn to upgrade 5m homes for increased energy efficiency and lower bills, alongside the mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.
“It is critical that these plans on which the new government has been elected are now put into action.”
The organisation set out its 10 key recommendations in a ministerial briefing notice. They are:
- Commit to a clear, long-term retrofit funding programme to give industry the confidence to invest in training and upskilling the workforce
- Expand financial support to all property tenures while protecting those in fuel poverty to ensure a just transition to low carbon heat
- Provide a “compelling” finance and funding offer, ensuring that those ‘able to pay’ can make a contribution while minimising barriers to uptake
- Utilise the power of data and technology with property specific and archetype data used to optimise delivery
- Engage with local communities to build consumer trust and improve advice
- Expand the supply chain while maintaining quality
- Ensure a high-quality workforce and incentivise engagement with PAS as the gold standard
- Build collaboration between government, industry, housing providers and local authorities
- Exercise greater flexibility in use of funding streams while ensuring the preservation of quality and standards
- Create the right conditions for innovation in product, delivery and finance
The ministerial briefing also includes further explanation on why each of the recommendations have been made, and potential ways to adopt them, as well as including references to various different research studies into energy efficiency in the UK.
Horrocks added: “We hope that the briefing we have issued helps to highlight the number of areas that need to be addressed, but also that the National Home Decarbonisation Group members are ready to work with the new government on achieving high-quality, large-scale retrofit delivery across the UK.”
Main image: Derek Horrocks, chair of the National Home Decarbonisation Group
Read next: Arup assists Hong Kong with site safety digital boost
Are you a building professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.
