Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH)

How does Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing apply to you?

• Social landlords for domestic properties must ensure that they achieve the relevant minimum Energy Efficiency (EE) ratings by the first milestone of 31st December 2020 for all applicable social housing.
• The EESSH will mean that in the main no social property will be lower than a ‘C’ or ‘D’ energy efficiency rating, meaning that tenants should benefit from a warmer home, which could mean lower fuel consumption, lower energy bills and less tenants in fuel poverty.
• EESSH will replace element 35 of the SHQS therefore landlords will not be required to demonstrate that they comply with SHQS element 35 from 1st January 2021.

How can you achieve EESSH?

• The actions already taken to meet SHQS by 2015 will mean that many properties will need little to no investment to achieve the EESSH by 2020.
• The EESSH is monitored by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) which takes a risk based and proportionate approach. Social landlords are required to provide the SHR with annual information on compliance.
• Landlords are encouraged to be creative and innovative in their approaches to improving energy efficiency and to assess all available options. A range of renewables solutions may be considered, such as Biomass, Solar Hot Water, PV, Air or Ground Source Heat Pumps, Micro Combined Heat and Power.
• Landlords need to identify the most cost-effective measures, in their individual operating context, and use these to achieve the standard.

How can GEP Environmental help?

We have over 10 years’ experience in producing EPCs for clients’ social housing stock, analyzing cost effective and appropriate improvements to dwellings enabling housing associations to comply with EESSH legislation, we visit buildings carrying out EPC or EESSH assessments. Domestic EPC surveys could help improve buildings’ EE ratings cost effectively, we are able to conduct EPC data collection on the following:

• Building geometry
• Building age
• Construction type(s)
• Window type(s)
• HVAC and DHW systems
• Lighting
• Presence of renewables