The National Retrofit Hub (NRH) has released a report concerning SMETER-HTC and its effects on the industry
Working with Arup, Impact on Urban Health, and TrustMark, the report shows how SMETER-HTC and other measured data methods can deliver improved retrofit outcomes.
SMETER-HTC is a performance measurement method that could replace more traditional predicted performance or EPC ratings.
Current metrics often miss the mark
The report details how predicted performance and EPC ratings can fail to reflect real performance or experiences accurately. SMETER-HTC is a method used to measure data pre-retrofit.
Using this data, retrofit jobs can see reduced project risk, minimisation of abortive works, and improved household outcomes as the baseline for work improves.
To support the use of this method over traditional methods, the report outlines a series of recommended steps for organisations to start using SMETER-HTC rather than EPC or other ratings.
Rachael Owens, co-director of National Retrofit Hub, said: “To transform the UK’s housing stock, we need a framework that rewards real performance, not predicted performance.
“Measured data is central to that shift. SMETER-HTC and other emerging tools give us the ability to understand true thermal performance at scale, which means we can target funding more effectively, prioritise the right homes and support programmes that deliver genuine outcomes.
“As we look ahead to EPC reform and wider regulatory change, it is essential that measurement becomes part of the foundation of retrofit policy. It is one of the clearest ways to raise confidence across the sector and improve results for households.”
Retrofit in the rental sector can be improved
Writing for PBC Today in November, Becci Taylor, director and retrofit at scale business leader for UKIMEA at Arup, discussed the gap between the social and private rental sectors for retrofit standards.
Becci wrote: “The introduction of Awaab’s Law represents a significant step forward for social housing tenants, requiring landlords to address hazards like damp and mould within strict timelines.
“While this progress is in the social sector is welcomed, it highlights the need to address issues in the private rental sector: the tenure with the highest relative housing cost, poorest conditions (23% of privately rented homes still fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard), weakest household protections and slowest progress on retrofit.
“For an equitable transition to better housing, we must shift from reactive fixes to proactive improvement. By adopting a preventative mindset and understanding how housing quality deteriorates across tenures, we can harness retrofit at scale to provide safe, carbon-efficient homes for all. And if we can provide more affordable housing at the same time as better quality, healthier, lower carbon housing, society wins on multiple fronts.”
