Sustainable Homes 17 Marina Place Hampton Wick, KT1 4BH 0208 973 0420 [email protected]

Rt Hon David Cameron MP Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA

12th November 2013

Dear Prime Minister

WARM HOMES AND FUEL POVERTY

I am writing this open letter on behalf of the Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow (SHIFT) network of housing associations, other associations, academics and the supply chain companies that maintain millions of affordable homes. As a group we own or manage the homes of over three million people. We are working hard to improve homes and reduce energy bills for residents. We note with alarm your recent statement that “We need to roll back some of the green regulations and charges that are putting up bills.”

We do not accept that measures such as ECO are the cause of increasing energy bills. Indeed they are in the front line of tackling fuel poverty and reducing its impact. The latest World Health Organisation research indicates that up to 40% of excess winter deaths can be attributed to fuel poverty, amounting to 7,800 deaths in the UK each yeari.

Supported by ECO, social landlords are taking action. They are responsible for thousands of projects to improve homes across the country and in some of our most impoverished communities. As well as reducing household energy bills by hundreds of pounds each year this is generating tens of thousands of jobs and improving the quality of homes. One recent study by Nottingham City Homes and Nottingham Trent University concluded that every £1 pound spent on retrofitting generates a social value of £4.76ii. Research by Cambridge Econometrics shows that up to 130,000 jobs are likely to result from continued significant investment in retrofitting homesiii.

The current uncertainty over the future of ECO is already having a damaging impact as social landlords rethink their plans. Many of our members are considering delaying or disbanding much needed investment. This will have perverse impact, increasing fuel bills and reducing employment.

Improving the nation’s housing stock will not happen overnight. It requires a long term perspective and certainty to create a favourable climate for investment. The supply chain is evolving rapidly and innovative products such as online quality management systems and new insulation methods for solid wall take time to develop. All this is now at risk.

Company registered in England No. 3803995

We ask that you take urgent action to recognise the benefits of investment in the housing stock by social landlords and retain and improve ECO 1 and ECO 2 for the long term.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Eagles, Managing Director, Sustainable Homes

On behalf of the following organisations

Advance Housing

Affinity Sutton

Alliance Homes

Amicus Horizon

Anchor

Ashden

Aspire Housing

Aster Homes

Baily Garner LLP

Bolton at Home

Broadland Housing Group

Carbon Savings Alliance (representing 300,000 homes)

Cartrefi Conwy

Catalyst Housing

Centre for Alternative Technology

Company registered in England No. 3803995

Circle Housing Group

City South Manchester Housing Trust

CityWest Homes Limited

City West Housing Trust

Croydon Churches

East Devon District Council

Eastlands Housing Group

First Wessex

Genesis

Gentoo

Habitat for Humanity Homes

Hanover Housing Association

Hastoe Housing Group

Hexagon

Housing Solutions

Hyde Housing Group

ISOS

L&Q

Lakehouse Contracts Ltd

Liverpool Housing Trust, part of Symphony Housing Group

Liverpool Mutual Homes

LSE Housing and Communities, London School of Economics mhs

New Charter Homes

Nottingham City Homes

Nottingham Community Housing Association Ltd

Company registered in England No. 3803995

Northwards Housing

Octavia

Orbit Housing Group

Placeshapers (Placeshapers represents 103 housing associations)

Poplar Harca

Regenda

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing

ROCKWOOL® Ltd

Roseberry Housing Group

Salvation Army Housing Association

Save Water Save Money

Southern Housing Group

South Tyneside Homes

Southway Housing Association

Stockport Homes

St Vincent’s Housing

Staffordshire Housing Group

Sustainable Traditional Buildings Alliance

SYHA

Swan Housing Association

The Climate Change Collaboration

The Guinness Partnership

The Havebury Housing Partnership

Thrive Homes

Tower Hamlets Homes'

Company registered in England No. 3803995

Trident Social Investment Group

Vela Group

VRM Technology Limited

Wates Living Space

Wigan and Leigh Housing

Yarlington Housing Group

Yorkshire Housing Ltd.

Your Homes Newcastle

cc. Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change

i Professor Christine Liddell, University of Ulster, February 2012 ii Nottingham City Homes et al (2012) Decent Homes Impact Study. iii Cambridge Econometrics et al (2012), "Jobs, Growth and Warmer Homes"

Company registered in England No. 3803995