We aim to provide homes that are warm and energy efficient. As part of the government's Clean Growth Strategy, Government set a target that all social homes must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of 'C' by 2030.
We are committed to meeting this target by installing loft and wall insulation, solar panels, air source heat pumps, and other energy efficiency measures across our homes. Our Energy Management team is working hard to continue to target our property reinvestment towards our most inefficient homes.
What is an EPC?
In the same way that Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) provide information about the performance of items such as fridges and washing machines, an EPC for a home provides an energy-rating efficiency rating from A to G; A is efficient and G is inefficient.
The EPC shows two things about the home:
- The energy-efficiency rating (based on how much the home would cost to run).
- The environmental impact rating (based on how much carbon dioxide is released into the environment from the home).
We must, by law, provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to people renting a home from us.
The rating is based on certain factors including age, heating, lighting, and insulation. The ratings are standard so you can compare the energy efficiency of one home against another. The typical rating for a home is D or E. The certificate is valid for 10 years.
Energy Efficiency Programme
Sanctuary is committed to making our customers' homes more energy-efficient, ensuring they stay warm and comfortable. Our goal is to meet the government's target of reaching Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C.
Over the past two years, we have partnered with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to improve over 2,000 homes through programmes like the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
We're very pleased to share that we have been offered a £44.3m allocation of grant funding under the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3. This funding will be used to retrofit our homes to improve their energy efficiency, making them warmer and more comfortable for our customers. We will match-fund this allocation, building on the successful delivery of our Wave 1 and Wave 2.1 programmes under the previously-named Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
Our approach to home improvements considers the entire property, not just one aspect. While not every customer will receive all the upgrades listed below, here are some of the energy-saving improvements our contractors provide:
- Fabric
- Loft insulation
- External wall insulation, if your home has solid walls
- Cavity wall insulation, if your home has cavity walls
- New windows
- New doors
- Draught-proofing
- Ventilation work, such as extractor fans or door undercuts
- Heating
- Air source heat pumps
- New efficient storage heaters
- Improved heating controls
- Hot water cylinder insulation or thermostats
- Removing secondary heating systems
- Renewables and other
- Solar photovoltaic panels (Solar PV)
- LED lighting
If your home is eligible for the Warm Homes programme, we will be required to share some of your data relating to the works in line with the government funding policy. You can learn more about this by viewing the privacy statement.
What are we doing?
If your home has an EPC rating below C, it is already in our plan for upgrades. Since 2020, we have improved over 3,000 homes, and we will contact you when it's time for your home to be assessed.
The retrofit planning process for you:
Sanctuary retrofit contractors
All Sanctuary contractors are Trustmark and PAS2035 registered in the measures that they install in your home. This gives you the reassurance that installations are to a high standard as well as complying with Government regulations around energy retrofits in social housing properties.
Our contractors will carry identification to reassure you that they are entering homes for legitimate reasons. Our primary contractors include:
- Correct Contract Services (CCS)
- Fortem
- Pellings
- Bell Group
- Net Zero Collective (NZC)
- Wates
- Agility Eco
What to do if something goes wrong
We expect our contractors to deliver high-quality work, but we understand that things don’t always go as planned. If you’re experiencing problems with your installation or are unhappy with your contractor’s service, we recommend contacting them first so they can resolve the issue quickly. If you need further support, you can contact our Energy Team by emailing Energy.team@sanctuary.co.uk.
If your installation was completed less than 12 months ago, it’s often fastest to reach out to your installer directly, as the product is still under warranty. Their contact details can be found in your handover pack. If you’re not satisfied with their response, our Energy Team is here to help.
For issues with retrofit work done more than 12 months ago, please report a routine repair through Sanctuary’s Customer Hub.
What can you do?
Making your home as energy efficient as possible could save you money on your fuel bills and will help reduce carbon emissions that are harmful to the environment. We hope you find these hints and tips below useful.
Further tips and advice can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website.
- Water saving tips
- Don’t leave the tap running when you’re cleaning your teeth or shaving.
- Don’t have the bath water too deep. A typical bath uses up to 80 litres of water, while a shower uses just a third of that amount.
- When boiling the kettle, only use as much water as you need. This avoids excessive energy usage too.
- Control your heating
- You can cut energy bills by 10% by turning your heating down by one degree. Though it’s recommended that you keep the temperature between 18°C–21°C.
- Close your curtains at dusk and tuck them behind your radiators if you have no gas wall heaters present.
- Open internal doors of the rooms that get most of the sunlight. This allows warm air to travel through and heat your home naturally.
- In the kitchen
- Keep your fridge away from other heat sources, as it makes them work harder.
- Opening your oven door during cooking reduces its temperature by 25%.
- Only run dishwashers at full load to maximise water and energy efficiency.
- Electrical appliances
- If you need to buy a new appliance, make sure it is as highly rated as possible (A+++ is the optimum).
- Turn appliances off standby. The average household wastes over £30 per year through leaving appliances on standby.
- Lights
- Don’t use higher wattage lightbulbs than you need and install LEDs wherever possible.
- Ensure outdoor lighting outlets have low energy bulbs and light sensitivity sensors so they stay off during the day. If you have an outdoor security light, ensure it is fitted with a motion sensor.