Everyone deserves a warm, energy-efficient home that’s affordable to run. That’s why I got involved with ForHousing’s Carbon Community Panel – to have a say in sustainability and help shape decisions that impact our homes and energy use.
As someone who cares deeply about the future of our communities, I felt it was a great opportunity to join others in conversations about creating homes that are both environmentally friendly and practical for tenants.
The Carbon Community Panel was created in 2022 and brings together ForHousing colleagues and tenants who share a passion for sustainability and collaborate on projects that contribute to greener homes and communities.
We meet every three months, either at ForHousing’s Regent Street office or online to talk all things carbon related. Tenant voices matter. By sharing lived experiences and working alongside professionals, we can find solutions that truly work for everyone.
Please read on for the latest update from the Carbon Community Panel.
By Sharon Shimmans, Involved Tenant and Carbon Community Panel member
Recently, our panel members took part in our first-ever off-site visit to the Green Skills Centre in Trafford Park.
We were joined by members of ForHousing’s Asset and Energy Teams, and we spent the day learning about new technologies and systems that will heat our homes in the future.
If the country is going to meet its targets around net zero, we have to find a way to cut down on pollution from things like heating and energy use – and that’s going to mean changes to our homes.
Seeing the latest heating technologies up close gave us real insight into what those changes might look like. It’s important that we all have a say in shaping these decisions, and we want to make sure these solutions are both practical and beneficial for everyone.
Exploring the future of sustainable heating
Since launching the panel, ForHousing has installed over 500 solar panels and more than 1,500 Cavity Wall Insulation measures across its neighbourhoods. While this is a great start to a more sustainable future, we want to keep looking at other ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
At the centre, we learned about the different energy-efficient heating systems and alternatives which are changing the way homes are powered – such as underfloor heating, solar panels, and smart systems.
One of the biggest talking points was air source heat pumps, which ForHousing already uses in newly built homes.
Instead of burning fuel, these energy-efficient pumps use outside air to generate heat. They are a greener alternative to the gas boilers that we are used to seeing in our homes.
Asking the right questions
Our visit was more than just a learning experience – it was a chance to challenge ForHousing on its approach to sustainable housing.
We asked questions such as whether these technologies are affordable in the long term, and how easy it will be for people to adapt to them.
What kind of support will be available for those who will start using these new systems? How can we make sure these solutions truly benefit everyone, not just new-build homes?
As tenants, our voices matter in shaping future decisions. It’s great to see that ForHousing is investing in greener solutions, but it’s just as important to make sure these changes work for everyone.
This includes working towards key targets like making sure all homes reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C by 2030, making them warmer and more affordable to run. To reach this goal, ForHousing is prioritising identifying the worst-performing homes and focusing its efforts on improving their energy ratings.
ForHousing is also committed to achieving net zero carbon output by 2050 by investing in renewable energy sources and improving insulation in our homes.
If you want to find out more about how ForHousing is working to improve the energy efficiency of our homes, you can find more details on its Homes Strategy here.
Working towards a greener future
This visit to the Green Skills Centre has shown us how important it is to be involved in sustainability conversations. While new technologies are exciting, we need to make sure they are accessible, cost-effective, and beneficial for tenants.
I hope this visit is the first of many for the Carbon Community Panel. The more we learn, the more we can shape and influence a future that works for everyone – especially as ForHousing continues to make decisions that impact our homes. In the meantime, we’ll keep working on projects that will help us become more sustainable.
Recently, we contributed to the development of a new Environmental Policy, which ForHousing will use to guide its future decisions. We also reviewed a flyer that aims to answer your questions about solar panels, making sure that information is clear, concise, and helpful.
If you share our passion for sustainability and want to have a say in how ForHousing works towards net zero, you can find out more about the Carbon Community Panel here. We’d love to get more people involved with the group and the projects we work on that matter to ForHousing communities.
Let’s build a greener future – together.
