Louise Drew, partner and head of building communities at Shakespeare Martineau
With many already speculating that the government will not meet its ambitious net zero target by 2050 and with the climate crisis firmly cemented in the UK’s public conscience, pressure is increasing to roll out net zero homes nationwide. However, with much of the technology that makes homes more energy efficient, such as heat pumps, still relatively new to market, lessons are still being learned about how best to implement them more broadly across the country.
One of the main issues faced in the battle for net zero homes is the skills shortage in the construction sector. Many contractors are simply not trained in the technical elements required, for example, in heat pump installation. As a result, when homeowners ask for advice when choosing between replacing their boiler or installing a heat pump, many contractors will still recommend the boiler as it falls within their skill set to install.
Another major challenge for meeting net zero targets is retrofitting the thousands of housing association homes across the UK to make them more energy efficient. Whilst housing associations organise and fund the retrofitting process with the help of government from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, it can be difficult for contractors to carry out work on housing association properties if the tenants are unwilling to give access. Tenant engagement is key to deliver on their net zero targets and positive conversations around why retrofitting homes is so important must take place early in the process. It is important to also remember that it is the contractors that will be undertaking at times, somewhat intrusive works and a sensitive approach by those contractors when entering tenants’ homes will be crucial.
When the government’s decarbonisation scheme was introduced to developers in 2021, one of the terms of receiving funds was that they must be spent within 12 months. Many providers struggled to meet this deadline due to a combination of factors, including delays with planning permission, widespread supply chain disruption and the skills shortage within the sector.
When the second wave of grants was released in September 2022, the period of time was increased to three years in an attempt to tackle these issues. Although it is not proven that this will have an effect, it should help relieve pressures on developers and contractors, and reduce the amount of money returned to the government due to the terms of the grant funding not being fulfilled. Whilst the changes to the scheme show willingness from the government to listen to providers, major investment in both green technology and raising the skillset of the workforce to install them successfully will be the only way that net zero will be reached by 2050.
With the government’s net zero targets fast approaching, all parties, including contractors, developers and housing associations, are struggling to break down the barriers preventing the roll out of greener homes. A comprehensive strategy involving upskilling contractors and educating the general public on the benefits of energy efficient technology will help to push net zero forward in the property and construction industry to meet the ambitious deadlines.
