Call for homeowners to share challenges to making homes more sustainable

The project seeks to help the Council reach its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Privately-owned housing is responsible for the largest proportion of household carbon emissions in Lewisham. Many of these homes would benefit from improvements and updates to help boost their energy efficiency and save residents money, such as more effective insulation and heating systems.

To help address this issue, Lewisham’s Housing Retrofit Task and Finish Group is asking homeowners, including landlords, to share what challenges they have faced in retrofitting their homes with more energy efficient systems, such as improved heating and insulation.

The Housing Retrofit Task and Finish Group, which was set up this summer and will run until February 2022, was established to help the Council ensure that it is doing everything in its power to make local Council and privately-owned homes more energy efficient.

The Group, which is made up of a small team of local councillors and chaired by Cllr Louise Krupski, is one of three Task and Finish Groups set up by Lewisham’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee – each focused on developing innovative solutions to key issues affecting the borough within a dedicated timeframe by engaging with a wide range of sources.

Throughout its lifespan, the Group will engage with Council services, Cabinet Members, local residents, Lewisham Homes, social housing providers and other key organisations to help it develop a set of recommendations that will support the Council to reach its target of net zero emissions by 2030 and help tackle fuel poverty.

Earlier this year, the Council secured over £3.7 million in central government funding to retrofit 165 Lewisham Homes properties, community centres and adult learning centres to support energy efficiency across the borough.

Whilst Lewisham Council has limited control over retrofitting privately-owned homes, the Task and Finish Group’s project aims to support Council staff to better understand what the key challenges to making homes more energy efficient are, how these can be overcome and how the Council can best help and support homeowners to make their homes greener.

Homeowners can share their thoughts, views and experiences by filling out an online survey on the Council’s website. Responses must be submitted by Thursday 2 December.

Cllr Louise Krupski, Chair of the Housing Retrofit Task and Finish Group, said:

“The heat that powers local homes is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions in the borough. That’s why retrofitting local homes is a key aspect of the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan and its target to reach net zero emissions by 2030.

“As many privately-owned homes in the borough are older properties, they often run on heating and insulation systems that are not sustainable - and we want to know how the Council can support private homeowners to switch to more eco-friendly methods of powering their homes. We want to hear from as many Lewisham private homeowners as possible, to understand exactly what they need. This will ensure that any support we put in place will create the maximum benefit, both to our residents and the environment.”