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 Housing Association
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