Speaker Bill Taylor

Meeting your retrofit challenge.

One of the biggest challenges facing Registered Providers over the next decade will be to retrofit its existing stock to meet the joint challenges of carbon reduction requirements and fuel poverty amongst residents. The Warm Homes, Greener Homes Strategy published by the previous Government seeks to provide guidance on these issues and identifies Registered Providers as leaders in the development of solutions.

Already we have seen many retrofit pilot projects and ‘basic' works programmes undertaken. In order to meet the targets, however, there will need to be a mass uptake of retrofit that tackles the more challenging elements over the next 10 years. In doing this, it is of significant importance that knowledge gained and lessons learnt are shared between Registered Providers along this path. Additionally, Registered Providers will need to find ways of advising residents on the issues around energy saving, changes in behaviour that will benefit them, and, where it is required, the choice and use of technology to reduce fuel consumption.

Fusion21 and PfH are joining forces to deliver a retrofit framework that will provide Registered Providers with a range of suppliers and installers that can cost efficiently deliver volumes of technology and installation. We are conducting a survey which seeks to identify the present ‘state of the nation'. With a good representative sample we hope to paint an accurate picture from which we can produce results that will enable us to help you in addressing the retrofit agenda.

PfH will review the survey findings at the PfH Annual Conference 2010 set to take place on 7th October 2010 at Manchester Central Convention Centre in a sub-plenary session led by Bill Taylor, Consultant at Fusion21. The session will discuss how the sector can incorporate the supply and fit of building materials, skills, jobs and resident training. PfH caught up with Bill ahead of the Conference to find out more about what he will discuss at the event.

Tell us about your career background. How did you get to the role you are in today?

I graduated in Town and Country Planning and worked in affordable housing for almost 30 years, for a range of Registered Providers. I specialised in development, regeneration, social business and asset management, with environmental retrofit and effective procurement as particular interests.  I am now the Managing Director of Taylor Armitt Consulting Ltd and one of my main clients is Fusion21, where I am leading on retrofit procurement.  I also work with individual organisations in the regeneration and sustainability policy fields.

Tell us about an example of delivering more for less that is pioneering innovation and ideas.

Fusion21’s Asset Management framework is a market leader in delivering more for less. By joining together and using efficient procurement systems, Fusion’s clients have achieved significant savings in delivering high quality outcomes AND have worked with partners to deliver over 630 jobs within the construction sector where trainees have been supported in developing skills and finding work. Many of these people live in Fusion21 client properties or estates, therefore the money spent is supporting those areas in a really effective way.

What is going to be your main message to social housing organisations at the Conference?

Environmental retrofit is a huge challenge. We have an absolute duty to deliver it in the most efficient way possible, keeping control of procurement costs, and at the same time using the spend to address the skills gap that exists at the moment. There is also a huge opportunity to develop new business streams for retrofitting in the private sector, with Registered Providers offering services for individual owners and private landlords.

Critical to meeting the retrofit challenge is ensuring we find out, understand and address the concerns of residents throughout this process. Only if residents are involved in the process from the earliest stages will the work be effective – because significant amounts of fuel can be saved with relatively little capital investment, but on the other hand investment will not be effective if landlords fail to ensure residents are well placed to gain maximum benefit from the improvements.  Landlords will need to take a strategic view of resident involvement in processes and programmes, and develop ways of ensuring maximum benefit is derived from the work to be carried out.

Faced with the squeeze in public funding, how are you helping social housing organisations to achieve more for less?

We need to tie the resources that are available externally into Registered Providers’ own resources, ensuring they make their assets work for them. The Fusion21 model is ideal for this, and we are joining with PfH to ensure we can roll it out to as many providers as possible.

What can Registered Providers do to achieve more for less? What is the key to delivering value for money?

The key to delivering VfM is to know your stock, to plan your programme and ensure that you tap into whatever external resources are available. Then it’s about setting up and ensuring control of the supply chain in an effective framework that constantly seeks out and eliminates waste, as well as bringing forward new technologies to get more for less.
Please help us to meet your retrofit challenges by completing our short questionnaire.

Don’t forget to complete the survey.

Please help us to meet your retrofit challenges by completing our short questionnaire here. Every respondent will receive a summary of the findings, which will be announced at the PfH Annual Conference.