Turn to the digital side: the key to living in energy efficient homes

Just because the sun has been shining it doesn’t mean authorities can give up on making sure people live in energy efficient homes. With the cost-of-living continuing to bite, now more than ever it is important to help people ensure their homes can be heated at a reasonable price, whilst also doing more to help the environment.

Steven March, Team Leader for Housing Standards at Dorset Council, shares his views with NewStart that by adopting a new digital way of working, more people can be reached to establish they live in an energy efficient property.

In recent events, the local authority has been tasked with contacting hundreds of Dorset-based landlords, with the aim of helping them improve the energy efficient of the properties they rent out. Currently, it is illegal to rent a property with an EPC rating of F or G – the worst ratings a home can receive based on energy levels – unless the landlord applies for and has approved an exemption, which include properties rented on an assured tenancy, regulated tenancy, or domestic agricultural tenancy.  

However, getting in touch with landlords proved to be a huge challenge. The only information our officers had was the addresses of the rented properties – they did not have all the names or personal addresses of the landlords that owned them. It was therefore crucial for us to make contact and engage with Dorset’s landlords as soon as possible. 

After analysing the quality of the rented properties that were on the council’s system, poor energy efficient homes was flagged was a major problem. As a result, we were awatded funding from the government to run a programme to improve rented properties with very poor heating and energy performance.

Unlocking the key to a digital solution 

Whilst we had the job of contacting around 700 landlords of the lowest energy rented properties across Dorset, this is where the application of digital came in useful. Using a digital mailing system, we were able to send letters to all the rental properties on the EPC database. A bespoke envelope with strapline and logo was also designed, with the aim of increasing engagement. 

Meanwhile, my colleagues in the council’s digital and ICT teams joined forces to develop an online solution powered by Granicus’ govService that the landlords could also use. This online solution meant that once the landlords had received their letter, they could then easily access the online portal on a phone, tablet, laptop or computer. 

Through this, individuals that rented out properties were able to answer yes and no questions, which provided the team with all the information they needed to progress their case. No officer time was needed, and all contact and communication with the property owners, including email replies, were automatically generated. 

Following this, a tailored response, using the details submitted by the landlord, was automatically sent out. In return, the team would also receive an automatic email from the online tool telling them the landlord had responded. 

Under normal circumstances, when our officers send out unsolicited letters, they would expect a response rate of under 5%. They would also have to chase hundreds of cases just to secure contact. 

By contrast, this online solution achieved an initial response rate of more than 40% in the first few weeks and by the time the project was completed, they achieved a 100% response rate. 

Digital also helps improve services 

But a good response rate was not the only success story of this project – going digital also improved the service the landlords received and in turn this benefits their tenants. With a few clicks of a button, the landlords were not only able to access their own EPC data, but they could also check how adding things like loft insulation would affect their energy performance rating and how much it would cost them. 

As far as we know, this type of energy performance tool is not available anywhere else online in the UK. The team called it the Energy Rating Improver. Although it is designed for landlords, anyone, including tenants, can access it. This tool enables residents to look at the EPC rating of their property and see how the rating changes by adding or subtracting improvements. No housing officer is needed in this process, which frees up their time for other work and helps save the council money. 

Going forward, to help improve the standards of homes in Dorset, we are using the feedback gathered from online users to continually tweak and improve the service. In total, 445 landlords with over 600 properties have used to service so far.

In addition, one unexpected benefit we have seen is far more engagement with large estate landlords has occurred. These estates, which we have many of in Dorset, need extra support as they own older properties that are more difficult to make energy efficient.   

This project has demonstrated that going digital has increased efficiency and the effectiveness of the EPC service. User satisfaction is high and tenants of formerly EPC failing homes now live in more energy efficient ones, meaning lower energy bills and less draughty homes and helping to reduce carbon emissions.  

Images: Bill Mead and Erik Mclean