Local Environment

Built Environment

Housing in the UK accounts for 27% of carbon emissions. 80% of the homes we will be living in by 2050 have been already built. To meet the UK targets of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025, we have to improve the performance of our existing housing stock.

Behavioural Changes:

  • Hounslow Homes is aiming to have a big impact in promoting behavioural change and raising awareness of environmental issues in Hounslow by co-ordinating and participating in a programme of events, as well as providing information and awards to ensure that environmental concerns are being addressed amongst our residents and leaseholders.

We are looking to roll out an initiative with ‘The Greening Campaign’ to raise communities understanding of climate change, carbon reduction and saving money.

Technical Measures and Changes:

  • Cavity Wall, Solid Wall and Loft Insulation: In addition to extensive grant funding that we received last year, we have an insulation programme to the value of £100k per annum.
  • Double Glazing: Double glazing was installed as part of our Decent Homes Programme which was completed in 2006. Windows are now replaced / upgraded on a programmed basis taking into account new energy efficiencies.
  • Condensing boiler upgrades and heating control upgrades: We have a 12 year replacement programme with an investment value of £2.9m per year.
  • Replacing tungsten bulbs with LED bulbs: We have undertaken a pilot of installing LED lighting in the communal areas at Haverfield Estate. Pending successful evaluation we will be looking to roll this out across all communal areas.

We are beginning to make great strides in improving the energy efficiency of our housing stock, but there is much more to do and we acknowledge that more effort and financial resources should be focused on green retrofitting as well as promoting low carbon/renewable sources of energy and sustainable installations on a much greater scale than at present, particularly given the national percentages that we are going to have to reach regarding reductions in carbon emissions.

Retrofits

In order to achieve a target of 60% emissions reductions by 2025 (the target set by the GLA), we have to start focusing upon extensive stock refurbishment and decentralised / low carbon energy production (i.e. domestic renewables), but this also has to go hand in hand with changes in Government policy and increased efforts from all stakeholders involved. Several studies have already shown that there is a funding gap of tens of millions of pounds which somehow social landlords will need to bridge in order to successfully deliver these retrofits.

Hounslow Homes have identified that they need to act on the three key issues:

  • supplying energy to residents at a reduced price for example, by installing domestic renewable energy, by installing communal heating and fixing the sale price of heat below rates charged by utility companies;
  • improving energy efficiency of dwellings or installing micro-generation;
  • supporting residents to maximise their income and provision of relevant ‘environmental’ information.

Exemplar eco-retrofit project soon to start….

One of Hounslow Homes’ submissions to the Technology Strategy Board’s Retrofit for the Future competition to retrofit a three-bed, semi-detached property in Hounslow has been successful and granted funding.

Key features of our retrofit project include a ‘Passivhaus’ whole-house design; external insulation to minimise occupant disruption, increase energy efficiency, and demonstrate that it can be sympathetically detailed on a post war building; substantial internal insulation upgrades; and installation of an energy efficient mechanical heat recovery ventilation unit. An energy efficient gas boiler and a highly insulated dual coil hot water cylinder with solar input from roof mounted collectors will also be installed. New controls will ensure that the heat input to the house is in tune with the low heat loss, to avoid overheating and to maximise boiler efficiency.

All these retrofit methods and others will result in an 87.5% CO2 reduction. The retrofit is relying on tough but achievable energy efficiency measures rather than simply carbon offsetting, and will be using Hounslow Homes’ in – house direct labour force to undertake most of the installations. Works undertaken on the property will also be carefully evaluated by the Energy Saving Trust for at least 2 years to see how effective they are for implementation in volume across the remaining UK social housing stock.

Sustainable New Builds

Our new builds (Beavers Lane and Convent Way) have been designed to Ecohomes standard (a version of BREEAM for homes) / Level 3 in the Code for Sustainable Homes. The code for sustainable homes sets standards for sustainable design and construction of new homes. All new social housing must be built to a minimum of level 3, delivering a 25 % improvement on the minimum energy efficiency requirement of current Building Regulations. We have looked to strike a balance between environmental performance and the need for a high quality of life and a safe and healthy internal environment. However, now we are looking into the feasibility of improving the sustainable features of these projects (particularly the financial costing and energy / CO2 emission savings attributed to improving the builds to sustainable Homes Code Level 4 or 5). Planning authorities have also specified the requirement for on-site electricity generation by a renewable source – a biomass boiler - at one of our new development sites.

Biodiversity

International Year of Biodiversity 2010

See London Borough of Hounslow - Biodiversity

Grounds maintenance

See the Grounds Maintenance page on this website

Transport

SMARTER TRAVEL

Travel is one of the easiest ways to reduce energy use, cut carbon dioxide emissions and drive down your fuel costs.

Sustainable travel is about reducing congestion, improving the local environment and encouraging healthier lifestyles. The London Borough of Hounslow promotes the following sustainable travel options:

  • Walking
  • Cycling
  • Public Transport
  • Car sharing and car clubs
  • Eco-driving

By following the links below you can find out how, by choosing sustainable travel methods, you could help improve your fitness, save money and help the environment.

Water

  • On average, each person in the UK currently uses about 150 litres of water every day and much of it is wasted.
  • If every UK home reduced their hot water use by just 5%, the CO2 saving would be equivalent to taking nearly 600,000 cars off the road
  • When gardening – use a watering can instead of a hose pipe or sprinkler. Also, try to water in the cool of the evening or very early morning.
  • Kettles - If you are boiling a kettle and it's only for you, don't fill it to the top, this will save on water and reduce electricity being used.
  • Toilets - Are there water saving devices fitted to your toilet cisterns? Most toilets do not need to use a full cistern to flush effectively. Hounslow Homes will soon be looking to fit "Save a flush" bags to reduce suitable toilets flush volume.

Drainage

See the Drainage page on this site

Animal Welfare

See the Environmental Health/Animals page on the London Borough of Hounslow's website

Condensation

See our page on Condensation on this site

Damp

See our page on Damp on this site

Copyright Hounslow Homes 2008