The CROSS Funding Partnership: Helping Streamline CERT in Social Housing

The first ever Carbon Reduction One Stop Shop (CROSS) Funding Partnership auction held on the 25th July has identified thousands of social housing properties in need of energy saving works, which if installed could result in potentially over 35,000 tonnes of CO2 saved. The majority of the properties identified came from social housing providers requiring funding assistance for ‘priority’ households keen to reduce their energy consumption and fuel bills.

The Government’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) puts an obligation on energy suppliers to save CO2 through improving domestic energy efficiency. Households are deemed as ‘priority’ under the CERT if the homeowner, private tenant, or permanent occupant of the property is in receipt of income or disability related benefit or over the age of 70.

The Local Government Association accredited CROSS Funding Partnership was formed to improve the efficiency and economies of scale of installing loft and cavity wall insulation into social housing. By encouraging social housing providers of all sizes to group together properties, CROSS is able to offer energy saving installations, and therefore large scale CO2 savings, to energy suppliers by way of an auction process.

The large numbers of priority households submitted to CROSS in its first auction can be used as a measure of social housing providers’ reactions to the current economic climate. With current predictions that over 6 million households will fall into fuel poverty as a direct result of increased living costs within the next few years, social housing providers have illustrated a pro-active response to helping in particular those on low incomes or over the age of 70 who may be susceptible to falling into fuel poverty if energy prices continue to rise.

With summer drawing to a lacklustre close, CROSS is encouraging social housing providers to continue to nominate all properties requiring energy saving works so residents can benefit from energy savings over the upcoming winter of high prices. All social housing properties are eligible for funding under the CROSS Funding Partnership.

In order to benefit from and meet the proven increased demands for energy saving work in social housing, the CROSS Funding Partnership is urging energy suppliers and social housing providers to get involved in its second auction taking place on the week commencing 25th August 2008.

Management of the CROSS Funding Partnership was granted to the award winning energy consultancy, Enact Energy. By utilising over 12 years of experience in the energy efficiency industry, Enact has helped to push and secure the CROSS Funding Partnership as an ideal energy efficiency platform from which all can benefit.

To get involved in the next CROSS Funding Partnership auction taking place over the week commencing the 25th August 2008, please contact Enact on 0870 442 7601 or contact us online. Social housing provider applications must be received by the 22nd August with the auction concluding on the 29th August.
 

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