LCRCA's story
The impact that housing has on climate emergency through emissions from homes is both a priority for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) and at a national level. The city region's housing stock on average contributes to 30% of our emissions and we also have 14% fuel poverty so the need to address both is imperative for a fair and greener future.
The LCRCA is committed to addressing long-standing fuel poverty challenges and ensuring that homes are warm and healthy, as well as supporting ambitions towards a net zero carbon City Region. Working with Local Energy North West Hub, the Local Authority Delivery Scheme has already made a start, targeting retrofit measures in the City Region's most deprived neighbourhoods.
Through addressing challenges in neighbourhoods where energy efficiency is not of the standard people deserve, we can tackle the pressing issues of fuel poverty, deprivation and poor health.
Older properties throughout the City Region are less energy efficient and emit more carbon – a pre-1919 house emits twice as much carbon as a modern home. We estimate that around 65% of our homes are EPC Band D or worse, and as a third of our carbon emissions come from our homes, energy efficiency improvements and the decarbonisation of our housing stock are essential aspects in mitigating impacts on climate change.
We are also conscious that the COVID pandemic has exacerbated issues of fuel poverty and poorer health, as well as increasing the need for homes suitable for older residents. With this in mind, Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme 2 (LAD2) will also aim to relieve pressure on the NHS and other service providers, as well as work towards the target to be a net zero carbon City Region by 2040.
By moving away from gas boilers and using a fabric first approach, such as insulation, homes in EPC bands D-G can be helped to EPC band C, with work done to ensure future measures can be implemented easily.
Useful learnings from LCRCA
LAD2 builds on the work from the first Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme. These government funds are part of the ongoing efforts to address fuel poverty and energy efficiency across the country. The City Region came together to collaborate to ensure we all are working towards our Net Zero Carbon target of 2040.
As the scheme targets those in our most deprived neighbourhoods, it was important to make sure this scheme was in the right hands at every stage. We worked via the Local Energy North West Hub and with Procure Plus – an organisation specialising in construction frameworks – to establish a framework of assessors and installers to meet our LAD2 and future retrofit needs. This allowed us to make sure we procured the correct delivery partner. Through this framework we appointed Next Energy to lead the generation and design of properties and carry out the assessment and installation.
Equally, engagement with Local Authorities is vital to the success of these schemes, and effective communication about the priorities and needs of Local Authorities' residents allows funding to be allocated most effectively. By speaking with Local Authorities and understanding properties most suitable for retrofit based on the criteria, we can identify the fastest route to ensuring that funding makes a transformative impact on the energy efficiency of homes.
Through working in this collaborative manner we have delivered at pace and to the required standards for the funding and for our residents. This will stand the city region in good stead for future funding bids.
LCRCA's metrics
Number of homes retrofitted (1,120).
Amount of money invested (£11.38 million).
Energy efficiency improvements.
