Why the end of the Green Homes Grant didn't make any difference to smart housing providers

For many housing providers, the ending of GHG didn’t even register. The smart ones already have their own Band C and zero carbon strategy in place, and it’s not one that is based on the short-term availability of any government funding.  For the housing providers who have planned for the long-term and already have or are putting their strategy in place, the stop-start funding doesn’t matter.  They have bigger fish to fry - they know funding has to work for them. They have a strategy that doesn’t chase funding unless it supports the strategy

This is not universal, but we do see decreasing numbers in the sector chasing every new bit of funding. I understand the temptation of CEOs and Boards to chase funding – who turns down free money, right? But more often its driven by FOMO not strategy. Chasing short-term funding causes organisational chaos as teams run around putting together bids and changing investment strategies that really don’t deliver. Meanwhile they are not delivering the strategy that works for their business and customers.

Let me be clear: funding is important. Let me rephrase that - finance is important.  Government funding will not even touch the sides of what is needed for zero carbon. What we need is finance and investment. That’s why we are working with others in the sector and the Energy Systems Catapult to build those new sources of finance and investment. But this will take time. So how do we square the need for funding now without chasing funding that isn’t working for the sector? 

There is one source of funding that is managing to do this but which many in the sector are missing out on. That funding is the energy company obligation, most often called simply ‘Eco’. It is funding that consistently delivers the intelligent, no-regrets measures that really will help deliver both Band C and zero carbon. The smart ones in the sector are maxing out efforts to secure this unglamorous, unsexy funding that simply and quietly gets on with the job.  Gone are the days when this funding over promised and underdelivered. Many – including this author - spent abortive time and resources making our asset management strategies fit what the energy companies wanted. 

This has changed and we are hearing of many in the sector finding it is fitting around their strategies.  And not only does it deliver measures – and free surveys - it also delivers valuable data for the sector as a new Energy Performance Certificate is completed post-works for free  too. 

So to answer the question we started with - what are the smart ones in the sector doing? In three simple steps they are taking control of Band C and zero carbon, putting in place their strategy and securing the funding that works for them and their customers.

Nicholas Doyle, director, Adecoe