We welcome the news from today’s Autumn Statement that the Government will commit a further £6bn to energy efficiency and to tackle fuel poverty. But It’s essential we have a holistic approach to buildings. Approximately 80% of our current buildings will still be around in 2050, and we need to focus on both the domestic sector as well as the non-domestic sector, where 89% of buildings need to be retrofitted by 2030.
At Wates we have delivered over 20 PAS 2035 compliant domestic retrofit schemes to date, installing energy efficiency measures in nearly 3,000 homes and we will soon be announcing our first PAS 2038 commercial retrofit project. We’ve also built a supply chain with the capacity to deliver retrofits to 100,000 homes over the next two years.
This additional funding will significantly boost the important work being done by social landlords to decarbonise the millions of social housing properties across the UK, as well as provide the focus required by non-domestic landlords to decarbonise their portfolios and transition to a low-carbon future. This funding will also bolster the government’s latest round of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund by providing much needed continuity in funding.
What we need to see now, from the Government and across our industry, are measures to support the necessary growth of the green supply chain, enhanced capital allowances for retrofit and investment in the skills needed to deliver on these ambitions.”
David Morgan
Executive Managing Director, Wates Property Services
