Existing housing

Verco is a market leader for low carbon refurbishment and is currently advising housing providers on ways to make the most from the Green Deal and ECO policies. 

Verco has a recognised track record of leadership in existing homes, working on policy development and providing housing strategies to over 20 local authorities and registered providers. We have an intimate understanding of all relevant mechanisms to support low carbon measures. Verco’s pioneering and successful work in this area helped to win the prestigious Consultancy of the Year prize at the Sustainable Housing Awards, 2011.

Green Deal is the government’s flagship policy on energy efficiency, focusing on domestic property across all tenures and is due to be launched in Autumn 2012. At the heart of it is a new ‘pay-as-you-save’ financing mechanism where no up-front cash investment is required from householder. Along with the Green Deal, there is also the potential to bring in top-up grant funding for retrofit measures from the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). This is a priority for many managed housing providers.

These policies present an opportunity for housing providers to deliver cost-effective retrofit packages and build on their current energy efficiency plans. We can ensure you take advantage of these policies and help deliver the wider benefits of retrofit projects: tackle fuel poverty, reduce energy bills, create jobs, increase comfort for tenants and achieve CO₂ reductions. 
Some of our recent high-profile projects include:

• The Energy Bill Revolution: This is the most comprehensive analysis to date of Green Deal/ ECO opportunities and fuel poverty alleviation potential across the UK.
• Affinity Sutton’s FutureFit project: This project illustrates how Green Deal can work in social housing with the potential to deliver significant savings.
• North London retrofit potential: Verco supported six boroughs (580,000 dwellings) to develop an area based retrofit action plan.

Our major clients include DECC, National Housing Federation, Nottingham City Council, Efficiency East Midlands, Gentoo, Places for People, Radian, Energy Saving Trust and the Technology Strategy Board.

For more information, please contact Duncan Price (Director)

Related projects

North London retrofit potential

Verco was commissioned on behalf of six North London boroughs to develop an area based retrofit action plan. This is one of the most thorough pieces of analysis on Green Deal opportunities, including the range of risks, values and delivery options for Local Authorities.

Affinity Sutton (FutureFit)

FutureFit is Affinity Sutton’s flagship project that aims to provide unique insights into how the Green Deal could work in social housing. Verco helped to show how low carbon activities can be mainstreamed to deliver significant energy and CO2 savings.

The Energy Bill Revolution

This mainstream campaign was commissioned by Transform UK, the Co-operative Group and Consumer Focus. Verco provided comprehensive analysis on Green Deal/ ECO opportunities and fuel poverty alleviation potential across the UK.

Whole house low carbon refurbishment

We investigated the potential for whole house low carbon refurbishment to deliver 80% carbon reductions in existing homes. The work involves identifying the whole package of carbon reduction measures that are required, the cost per house of installing all these measures, the key barriers to a whole house approach and the main policy instruments for delivery. Our research fed into the UK Government’s ‘Heat and Energy Saving Strategy’.

The Existing Homes Alliance

We helped establish the Existing Homes Alliance, which sets out the action required from businesses, housing and environmental organisations and government to put the UK housing stock on the road to deep cuts in carbon emissions and energy bills.

Northstowe: an exemplar of sustainability

Large, long term, phased developments such as the 9500 home Northstowe exemplar of sustainability pose critical challenges for the delivery of community energy systems due to the requirement for early investment in shared generation and distribution infrastructure set against uncertainty in the timing, value and size of the customer base and associated revenue streams.

Zero Carbon House

The Zero Carbon House is a low energy demonstration project to show how renewable energy can create a unique living experience on a remote island in a severe climate. A holistic approach has been taken to eliminating household carbon emissions that would normally result from heating and powering the home, running the family car and growing and transporting food.

Zero Carbon Development

Delivering low and zero carbon growth

Winton Estate

Expansion of pioneering biomass heating syste

Stratford City

Stratford City is a £4bn mixed use regeneration project in Newham, East London on derelict former railway lands. Camco Advisory Services Ltd (CAS) worked alongside the design team to develop a sustainable energy strategy that responds to public policy aspirations whilst being technically and commercially viable. This work fed directly into detailed planning negotiations on energy performance for the development. Planning permission was granted in September 2004.

One Gallions

We helped Crest Nicholson BioRegional Quintain to secure this site in east London as part of the Mayor’s competition to build a flagship Zero Carbon development.

One Brighton

A Sustainable One Planet Living® Community

Wembley City

The £2bn redevelopment of land around the stadium is a flagship project for London and formed an important part of the London 2012 bid. We initially developed a Site Wide Energy Strategy to fulfill the requirements of the s106 planning agreement with the London Borough of Brent which has subsequently been approved.

Middlehaven

Camco Advisory Services Ltd (CAS) helped BioRegional Quintain Ltd (BQL) to secure and develop this English Partnerships site in the North East. The team responded to a development brief that set stringent energy standards by proposing an exemplar highly sustainable community based on principles of Zero Carbon, Zero Waste and efficient use of water and materials.

London Energy Partnership - Energy Action Areas

Camco Advisory Services Ltd (CAS) was commissioned by the Greater London Authority, on behalf of the London Energy Partnership, to define and develop the concept of ‘Energy Action Areas’ for London. These were then translated into a workable programme of action to deliver results on the ground. We proposed that a series of pilot Energy Action Areas should be centered on large scale regeneration projects where there was momentum building upon and large scale energy infrastructure being established.

Heart of East Greenwich

Camco Advisory Services Ltd (CAS) worked in collaboration with BioRegional Consulting on a project for English Partnerships, now the Homes & Communities Agency investigating appropriate sustainability standards for a number of their developments, including the carbon neutral Heart of East Greenwich scheme.

Bath Western Riverside

Integrated sustainability in the South West