The EPC banding distribution of our existing homes is as follows:

The average SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) score for our existing homes is 74.31

Notes:

1. The data excludes Enham Trust and shared ownership homes

2. Energy use intensity data not available

The EPC banding distrubution of our new homes completed in the last financial year is:

The average SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) score of our new homes is 84.05.

Note: energy use intensity data not available

Does the housing provider have a Net Zero target and strategy?

If so, what is it and when does the housing provider intend to be Net Zero by?

We have set targets for our housing stock to be EPC C by 2030 and are producing costed transition plan to achieve this.

We have progressed the development of our plans to ensure our customers' homes will be net zero by 2050, and our operations and supply chain will be net zero by 2050 or earlier.

We have started work to define our sustainability strategy, and this will set targets for carbon reduction to ensure we meet these objectives.

What retrofit activities has the housing provider undertaken in the last 12 months in relation to its housing stock?

How do these activities align with, and contribute towards, performance against the housing provider's Net Zero strategy and target?

Through our planned maintenance programmes, we have improved the loft insulation in 273 individual homes and two blocks, added cavity wall insulation to 120 individual homes plus eleven blocks, upgraded the windows in 566 homes and the communal areas of one block, and upgraded the heating in 1,497 homes with more efficient systems. We have also upgraded the communal heating plant at three of our housing schemes, replacing inefficient boilers (efficiency between 69% and 75%) with high-efficiency models (efficiency 96% or greater).

Our successful Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 project exceeded delivery targets during 2023-24, enabling us to add more homes to the project and secure additional funding. Using the insight gained from our intensive survey of more than 28,000 customers’ homes, we have modelled measure-level options for achieving EPC C and net zero carbon, which has been used to inform our financial plans. All of our asset surveyors have now been trained as PAS 2035 retrofit assessors.

We have trialled a range of energy efficiency technologies in two pilot properties, to give us a better understanding of the options available for improving those homes which are least cost-effective to heat. In the first pilot property, NextGen infrared heating was combined with solar PV panels, battery storage and a Mixergy hot water tank. In the second, a Comfortframe internal wall insulation system was installed with built-in heated panels, along with an air source heat pump.

These pilots are being monitored and evaluated during the current year and the findings will be used to further inform our strategy for ensuring all our homes achieve EPC C by 2030 and net zero carbon by 2050.

So far 85.1% of our stock has achieved an EPC rating of C or better. The average SAP score of our homes has increased to 74.44, an uplift of 0.16 SAP points compared to the previous year.

Our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2023/24 were as follows:

• Scope 1 (mains gas, owned fleet, plant and equipment, fugitive emissions): 6,936 tCO2e, which equates to 196 kgCO2e/home.
• Scope 2 (purchased electricity, location-based): 2,419 tCO2e, which equates to 89 kgCO2e/home .
• Scope 3 (electricity transmission and distribution, housing stock regulated emissions, business travel, homeworking, leased fleet, electricity supplied by landlord): 63,748 tCO2e, which equates to 1,797 kgCO2e/home.

During 2023/24, our GHG emissions were 6.9% higher in absolute terms than in the baseline year of 2019/20. This is due to the increased size of the organisation and the number of properties we own and manage. However, the GHG gas emissions per home has reduced by 18.5% over the same period, from 2.529 tCO2e/property to 2.062 tCO2e/property. 

We are required to comply with Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) requirements. The SECR report for 2023/24 was included in our Annual Report and 9,180 tCO2e of GHG emissions were reported, covering those arising from energy use (gas, electricity and transport), as required by the legislation. The intensity metric we use is GHG emissions per home owned and managed, and for 2023/24 the figure reported was 258.81 kg CO2e / home.

Notes:

tCO2e refers to tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent

kgCO2e refers to kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent

How has the housing provider mapped and assessed the climate risks to its homes and supply chain, such as increased flood, drought and overheating risks?

How is the housing provider mitigating these risks?

Climate risk will form part of our new Sustainability strategy, which we are currently developing.

We plan to carry out an assessment of the risks to our homes, operations and supply chain resulting from climate change and will put in place measures to mitigate the key risks identified.

We do not yet have a date by which this will be completed.

Does the housing provider have a strategy to use or increase the use of responsibly sourced materials for all building and repairs works?

If so, how does the housing provider target and measure performance?

We do not currently have in place a strategy on responsible sourcing, although this will be given due consideration in the development of our new sustainablity strategy.

In the meantime, we look to responsibly source materials where possible. For example, our Employer's Requirements specify FSC-certified timber for our development sites.

Also, at the monthly contract meetings we hold with our main building materials suppliers, a discussion on options for product innovation, including replacing existing products with more sustainable alternatives, is a standing agenda item. As a result of this process we now purchase compostable bamboo wipes in a refillable tub to replace the non-degradable wipes used previously.

Does the housing provider have a strategy for waste management incorporating building materials?

If so, how does the housing provider target and measure performance?

Waste management forms a key part of our environmental management system, and we have procedures and training in place to help ensure we comply with waste legislation. Currently improvements are being made to ensure better compliance, for example through improved segregation, relocation of waste storage facilities and updating of contractor vetting processes. We are working to bring all of our entities into the centralised waste brokerage arrangements that we have in place.

For waste that is managed through our waste broker, we receive monthly data on the quantities that have been disposed of and the fate of the waste. We aim for none of our waste to be disposed of to landfill, except where no other alternative is available, as is the case for waste materials containing asbestos. During 2023/24, 78.1% of our waste was recycled, 21.4% was recovered and only 0.55% was disposed of to landfill. If asbestos is excluded from the figures, the disposal to landfill is reduced to 0.4%. (Note that these figures exclude bulky wastes such as furniture and white goods removed from void homes and bin stores as we do not currently have the data relating to these. However, we are working with our broker to rectify this.)

Does the housing provider have a strategy for water management?

If so, how does the housing provider target and measure performance?

We recognise that water efficiency is a key element of sustainability and it will be given due consideration in our emerging new sustainability strategy. Currently, we ensure that all of our new developments meet the water efficiency requirements of Part G of the Building Regulations and any higher requirements specified in local planning policies.