Driving energy performance improvements in specialised supported housing

The UK’s housing stock is amongst the least energy efficient in Europe and accounts for approximately 14% of national carbon emissions. Improving the energy performance of homes is therefore both necessary and urgent.

Within this context, specialised supported housing (SSH) presents a unique challenge. These homes are designed for residents with specific care and support requirements including mental health, sensory impairment and/or physical care needs; they are not simply places to live, but homes that enable independence, stability and care. As such, retrofit cannot follow a standardised model. It must be resident led and shaped through close collaboration with registered providers and care providers to meet individual needs and minimise disruption.

At Social Housing REIT, under the investment management of Atrato, this principle has underpinned our approach to energy performance improvements. Over the past year, we have commenced a targeted, portfolio-wide programme of energy efficiency upgrades, through our energy performance certificate (EPC) upgrade programme.

In 2025 alone, 38 properties were thermally upgraded, alongside the installation of 15 heat pumps and more than 100kW of solar PV systems. Works have been prioritised to maximise impact and minimise disruption, including a focus on properties with a greater proportion of public funding available, targeting the lowest EPC rated homes to maximise improvement, and, finally, by considering the level of lessee engagement to help ensure support for the programme.

This structured approach has shaped a coordinated programme of building fabric improvements, low carbon heating installations and onsite renewable energy generation, with delivery sequenced to ensure care provision can continue uninterrupted.

This programme has already contributed to a measurable shift in the energy performance of our homes. As at year end, 77% of our portfolio is now rated EPC C or above, up from 71% the previous year, with the portfolio already outperforming the UK residential average. We remain committed to meeting the proposed regulatory requirement for all socially rented homes, including SSH, to achieve a minimum EPC C by 2030, with our EPC upgrade programme progressing ahead of this timetable, with targeted completion by 2028.

These upgrades are designed not only to improve EPC ratings but to create warmer and more comfortable homes for our residents. Improving the energy efficiency of homes reduces the amount of fuel required for heating, leading to more sustainable and consistent energy use for residents.

At the same time, we are strengthening our data infrastructure to track associated decarbonisation benefits. This will allow us to monitor progress against our emissions reductions targets, including our commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with these targets validated and approved by the science based target initiative (SBTi) in March 2026.

By developing and sharing best practice, SSH can help shape a more informed approach to retrofit that balances sustainability with resident safety, comfort and stability. To support this, we are launching a net zero working group with our registered providers and care providers to encourage knowledge sharing, practical insights and sector collaboration.

Together, these efforts demonstrate that meaningful and essential energy performance improvements in SSH are achievable. Through targeted investments in upgrades and deeper partnership, we are strengthening the resilience and efficiency of our portfolio, creating warmer and more comfortable homes for residents and accelerating progress towards net zero.