Decarbonising Social Housing: Lessons from the ALMO sector is published today and draws on energy efficiency work being done by housing managers responsible  for more than 300,000 council homes in England.
It showcases the lessons learned by NFA members during projects to reduce carbon use and emissions in a wide range of buildings, from high-rise flats to atypical-build homes, using a number of solutions. 
“Every gram of CO2 saved is worth it – as is every penny we can help residents cut from their heating bills,” said report author Lisa Birchall, NFA Policy and Research Officer.
“The most important conclusion to come from what members have told us is that there is no wriggle-room to allow work to slow down on making homes in the social rented sector more energy-efficient.
“It is no longer just about meeting zero carbon targets; this work is the most effective way our members, other social landlords and government can help tenants who are in or close to fuel poverty, at a time when energy prices have become a huge burden on household finances.”
The report shows that NFA members understand the condition of their stock and are working on accurately measuring the energy efficiency of the homes they manage on behalf of their parent councils.
The NFA is actively encouraging members’ boards to set out a clear, explicit approach to decarbonising that explains what ‘zero carbon’ means for their stock and how long it will take, and to work closely with their local authorities to reach final decisions on how all this can be done.
The social housing sector is under extraordinary pressure on many fronts, putting new regulation into practice, delivering cost of living support to residents and doing what they can with shrinking resources and funding to increase housing supply.
The report concludes that on climate change work, as with the many other pressures the sector faces, the desire of social housing landlords to deliver has to be matched by support from the centre if they are to have any chance of success.