We are aiming to beat the government’s target for boosting the energy efficiency of homes as part of our environmental aspirations for the future.
Our ambition is to change the way new homes are built and existing homes are maintained across the South West.
Central to our energy efficiency drive, LiveWest's target is for all of its existing homes (where 100% equity is retained) to reach an Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) rating of band C and above by 2028 is two years ahead of the proposed government target of 2030. Around three quarters of our stock already meets this target.
Managing over 37, 000 homes across the region, LiveWest is one of the first housing associations in the country to have launched an environmental blueprint with measurable targets.
The increased EPC rating will reduce carbon emissions and support the government’s ambition for the nation to become carbon neutral by 2050.
This runs alongside our core ambition to provide homes, support our customers and address fuel poverty.
We have also committed to delivering our new homes to EPC band high B/low A using an enhanced fabric first approach to ensure our homes outperform current building regulations.
We are also taking steps to futureproof our new homes by installing the infrastructure that can accommodate heat pumps at a later date to provide an alternative to a fossil-fuel based heating system.
We plan to gradually move away from gas and oil heating systems to electric-based systems in order to benefit from the National Grid’s drive to become greener in how it generates electricity.
We are also targeting a 20% reduction in paper consumption over the next 12 months and a 10% reduction of business mileage year on year for the next three years, using our investment in technologies and flexible working to cut down on travel.
Melvyn Garrett, Deputy Chief Executive of LiveWest, said: “We place sustainability at the heart of our organisation and we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our activities to create a clean and sustainable future for our customers, employees and our families.
“With local councils declaring climate emergencies across the South West and, as the largest housing provider in this region, we wanted to renew our environmental commitments in order to embed sustainability across the organisation and to assist our local authority partners to achieve the goals outlined in their Climate Action Plans.
“For us, this is about improving the energy efficiency of our homes, either through building new sustainable properties or by refurbishing existing ones.
“We have set ourselves measurable targets, increasing the energy efficiency of our homes and promoting sustainable behaviour change for both customers and colleagues which all contribute to reducing carbon emissions.
“We aim to promote sustainable solutions working with our joint venture partners to help them to meet their needs but also to contribute to creating a low-carbon economy and support thriving, vibrant communities.
“These steps demonstrate our commitment to protecting the environment for today and the future.”
Sustainable approaches run through the design of our offices too, with a purpose-built head office in Exeter connected to the local district heating network and constructed with energy efficiency in mind.
Our award-winning office in Tolvaddon, Cornwall, has an air source heat pump heating system, while all three offices, including our newly-refurbished centre in Weston-super-Mare, have charging points for electric vehicles.
Find out more about LiveWest: Creating Greener Futures Together and our commitment to sustainable homes, working smarter and shaping futures.