Housing Refits

While new housing is now required to meet at least a seven-star NATHERS rating, some research indicates that houses built before this guideline came into force (that is, over 90% of Australian housing) achieve an average of 1.8 stars.  This is a major contributor to our greenhouse gas emissions, and also means residents have to pay more for their energy.  You can read more here.

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Tenants are particularly likely to be living in housing with poor energy-efficiency.  Private landlords have little financial incentive to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties as their tenants, not them, get the benefit and even though they could potentially translate this cost saving into higher rents this is not always possible in practice.  It’s even harder for social housing providers who are generally strapped for cash and whose tenants are on subsidized rents already.  Yet there is clear evidence that more energy efficient housing is better for both tenants’ wallets and their health - read more here.  

 

While you may not be able to afford a full refit, there is a lot you can do at low cost, and often in the course of ordinary planned maintenance.  Back in 2019 the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living (which has since wound up) developed a handy guide for social housing refits which grades potential refits from simple/low cost to complex/high cost.  You can check it out here.   The Green List has a handy taster here.  They identify a set of thirteen opportunities to improve energy-efficiency and comfort through retrofits, with different costs and benefits.

• At the lowest cost end are  installing LED lights, ceiling fans and window film.  These can be done in almost any home at minimal cost, and the efficiency and comfort gains are small but noticeable.

• In the mid-range are items including insulation (of ceiling, walls and/or floors), gap sealing, external shading and internal window coverings.  which can cost more or be more technically complex but can also result in more significant energy efficiency and comfort.

• At the most expensive end is installing double glazing, rooftop solar, efficient hot water systems and reverse cycle air conditioning.  These can have major impacts on energy use, although only double glazing and air-conditioning make a difference to the home's comfort.

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Obviously these will depend on the design and location of the home and the state of your maintenance budget.  You also need to be mindful that your tenants may have a different view on this to what you do as asset managers - recent AHURI research highlights that tenants tend to favour more visible or tangible changes like solar panels and insulation over lower cost options like gap-sealing and window shades, even though the latter might be more cost-effective.  This suggests that you need to communicate clearly with your tenants what you are planning to do, and why.  

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When talking about retrofitting housing, prominent energy efficiency advisor Tim Forcey also highlights some simple measures tenants can take at low cost, like hanging curtains, using something cheap like a shower curtain to isolate on room rather than heating or cooling the whole house, or using bubble wrap to insulate windows in summer.  He also highlights ways to make existing energy efficiency measures more effective - for instance, a home may have ceiling insultation but there may be a gap in this for lighting which compromises its effectiveness.  You can read Tim's practical, down-to-earth approach to energy-efficiency in his book My Efficient Electric Home which you can get through any good bookseller.  

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Energy efficiency and home refits are issues that I keep coming back to on this site because they are key to a whole range of climate issues - to read the latest additions check out the blog and subscribe at the bottom of this page.