We’ve received a SHIFT Gold award for sustainability in our homes!

Thursday, 11 April 2024

We have been awarded a SHIFT Gold accreditation for our commitment to providing sustainable homes and reducing our carbon footprint throughout our operations.

The award presented by SHIFT (Sustainable Homes Index for Tomorrow) provides an independent environmental assessment for the housing sector and supports landlords to determine a roadmap towards net zero.

As part of the Greener Herts consortium, B3Living received £5.9 million from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to improve the energy performance of 263 homes in Hertfordshire.

We will prioritise wall insulation to avoid heat loss and start rolling out newer, alternative sources of heating such as air source and photovoltaics with smart batteries. Through a fabric first approach, we will contribute to enabling customers to reduce their energy bills and the carbon footprint of their homes.

Out of the assessed housing associations in the SHIFT report, B3Living ranked in the top three for new home sustainability and EPC C+.

With 100% of homes at low risk of overheating and sufficient ventilation, our homes are less likely to develop damp and mould. Moreover, 89% of our homes are at low risk of flooding, making them climate resilient.

At B3Living, we pride ourselves on not only providing affordable homes for those priced out of the market, but also offering specialist support to make their homes safe and comfortable in the long term. According to the latest tenant survey, customers have reported an 85% rate of satisfaction with our overall service.

Steve Woodcock, B3Living’s Chief Executive, said:

“We are incredibly proud to have achieved SHIFT Gold this year.

“This award is wonderful recognition of the levels of investment we have made as a medium-sized organisation to ensure that we provide all our customers with high quality, energy efficient homes they can afford.

“Funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and our innovative work with the Greener Herts consortium has accelerated our ability to reduce fuel poverty and improve our customers’ financial resilience in years to come.

“Sustainability will continue to be a key corporate priority for us as we work towards net zero by 2050.”