A great deal of the public housing available today was created several decades ago. When we talk about social housing blinds in these properties, it is more than just an aesthetic choice. In many cases, effective energy-saving social housing blinds can help these ailing properties.
Much of the social housing stock on the market struggles to meet modern-day standards. Created at a time when there was less pressure to implement energy efficiency measures and now aged to the point of losing efficiency, many of these properties have high monthly fuel costs.
In this blog, let us discuss how social housing blinds can benefit these properties.
What is Public Housing?
First and foremost, what is public housing? Public housing is housing stock managed by a public body, such as a local council or a non-profit housing association. These properties typically offer more affordable, secure long-term rental arrangements.
So those renting these properties will be unlikely to face a rent hike or a sudden potential loss of tenancy. Similarly, when it comes to property improvements, these costs won’t normally fall on these tenants. So, if social housing blinds were installed, along with a plantation shutter or some other bespoke shutters, only the controlling body would have to pay.
In many cases, however, these owning bodies benefit from relief. Meaning that certain costs can be written off and that schemes can be accessed through government channels.
Where Do Social Housing Blinds Come In?
Social housing blinds, such as Flutter Shutter, which pairs a plantation shutter with the blinds, help cut monthly fuel bills. They do this as part of energy saving window systems.
With a set of bespoke shutters and an energy-efficient blind, the thermal envelope of these properties can be improved.
This, in turn, means less heat escapes the home. This means heating systems don’t have to run as hard or for as long.
How Do Social Housing Blinds Help Affordability?
They can help with affordability in many ways. These blinds, like our own energy efficient blinds from Liverpool, can better insulate the home. Avoiding the costs of high monthly fuel bills and expensive renovation works to improve heating systems.
Reduced Monthly Fuel Bills
Installing energy-efficient blinds in these properties can significantly reduce fuel bills. As part of installing full energy saving window systems, these social housing blinds can help prevent thermal energy bleeding through the windows.
Thus, living in these accommodations is far less expensive month over month. Making public housing more affordable and comfortable to live in.
Higher EPC Ratings
For a body that manages public housing properties, improving an EPC rating can mean the difference between grants and no support at all. That is why social housing blinds paired with bespoke shutters can help improve these EPC ratings.
Allowing property managers to reach a higher rating without expensive or time-consuming reworks. In turn, this allows them to benefit from these grants and use less of their own funds to maintain this housing. This is a cost-saving that they can then pass on to the tenants living within them.
We previously wrote about how an effective set of bespoke shutters paired with an energy-efficient blind can help improve EPC ratings in social housing. If you want more details on this avenue to improve efficiency, see our previous blog!
Long-term Cost-Effectiveness vs Private Housing
Unlike private housing, public housing is managed primarily for the benefit of the tenant. Using the most recent efficiency improvements available through schemes. Oftentimes, these schemes are only available to these social housing groups.
What this has meant over time is that social housing has seen improvements in energy efficiency, through social housing blinds and energy saving window systems, etc.
At the same time, private housing has become less efficient due to limited access to improvements, making public housing in the long term more cost-effective.
Lower Maintenance Costs
By improving heat retention, the overall cost of care for this form of housing is lower. In part because it means a higher EPC rating. Without the implementation of social housing blinds in energy saving window systems, these homes will have a lower rating and therefore a higher cost to own.
This is because, besides losing out on grants, housing with lower ratings often comes with several penalties or restrictions. In either case, this leads to a limit on who can own the home, due in part to fees owed to the government for housing that falls short of government targets.
That is how important social housing blinds can be to social housing.
Interested In Your Own Social Housing Blinds?
If you are interested in installing social housing blinds yourself, give us a call!
Flutter Shutter works with a variety of groups, including heritage managers, registered social landlords, and councils. Each of which can find information through our helpful brochure!
You can get in touch today through our contact us form or by email at contact@fluttershutter.org.
