Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing: guidance for social landlords (revised December 2017)
Revised guidance for social landlords on the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH), December 2017
4 The EESSH and the SHQS
4.1 The EESSH will replace element 35 of the SHQS. Landlords will not be required to demonstrate that they comply with SHQS element 35 from 1 January 2021.
4.2 From April 2015 all social housing should be compliant with the SHQS unless it is exempt. Social housing should continue to meet the energy efficiency elements of the SHQS until December 2020. The SHQS standard for energy efficiency is set by fuel type as follows:
Table 3: SHQS minimum energy efficiency ratings (current minimum standard)
| Fuel | SAP 2009 | SAP 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Gas | 48 | 48 |
| Electric | 63 | 61 |
| Other Fuels | see table 2 on page 4 | |
4.3 Note that the SHQS minimum standard for electrically heated detached houses is higher than the standard required by EESSH. This is because EESSH recognises the difficulties faced in making improvements to this type of property.
4.4 SHQS also requires landlords to ensure that properties have the following additional elements:
Table 4: Other SHQS energy efficiency elements
| Element |
Description |
|---|---|
| 31 |
Cavity wall insulation – if there is an appropriate cavity (see table 5 below) |
| 32 |
Loft insulation (270 mm) – if there is an appropriate loft space |
| 33a |
Hot water tank insulation (spray-on 25 mm or jacket 80 mm) unless inside an insulated loft space |
| 33b |
Any hot or cold pipes or cold water tank must be suitably insulated unless in an insulated loft space ( NB although this is listed under energy efficiency the insulation of cold water installations is intended to protect against freezing conditions). |
| 34a |
Full central heating – i.e. a heating system covering at least 50% of the floor space of "habitable rooms" as defined in SAP (this excludes kitchens and bathrooms) and with a central point of control for all heaters in the system. |
| 34b |
Efficient central heating – a boiler with a seasonal efficiency of 55% or less (65% or less for oil heating) and some types of electric storage heating are classed as inefficient. |
31 Cavity wall insulation – if there is an appropriate cavity (see table 5 below)
32 Loft insulation (270 mm) – if there is an appropriate loft space
33a Hot water tank insulation (spray-on 25 mm or jacket 80 mm) unless inside an insulated loft space
33b Any hot or cold pipes or cold water tank must be suitably insulated unless in an insulated loft space ( NB although this is listed under energy efficiency the insulation of cold water installations is intended to protect against freezing conditions).
34a Full central heating – i.e. a heating system covering at least 50% of the floor space of "habitable rooms" as defined in SAP (this excludes kitchens and bathrooms) and with a central point of control for all heaters in the system.
34b Efficient central heating – a boiler with a seasonal efficiency of 55% or less (65% or less for oil heating) and some types of electric storage heating are classed as inefficient.
4.5 For more detail on the SHQS energy efficiency elements see Annex C of the SHQS guidance at /publications/shqs-technical-guidance-for-social-landlords/.
4.6 As the EESSH does not prescribe specific measures needed to meet overall minimum levels of energy efficiency, landlords will not be required to demonstrate that they comply with SHQS elements 31-34b from 1 January 2021. Generally, it can be assumed that homes which comply with the EESSH will meet most if not all of these individual elements. Some of these measures have been included in the list of reasonable measures for the EESSH.
4.7 The SHQS guidance includes advice on cavity wall insulation to help identify where a suitable cavity exists and should be insulated. This is summarised below:
Table 5: Cavity wall insulation in different types of wall construction
| Wall construction and insulation |
Description |
Should the cavity be filled? |
|---|---|---|
| Standard construction with cavity |
Standard post-1982 construction with two brick leaves and a cavity of at least 100 mm |
Yes – subject to necessary consent |
| Standard construction with equivalent insulation |
Cavity unfilled but there is equivalent insulation on inner or outer surface |
It is not necessary to fill the cavity because the wall is already insulated |
| Standard construction with unsuitable cavity |
Insulation is technically inappropriate because e.g. the cavity is too narrow, too high or filling it would cause penetrating damp |
No – this can either be due to the design of the cavity or due to existing problems such as rubble or damage which should be addressed first |
| Timber kit construction. |
The cavity is a ventilation cavity between the brickwork and the timber frame (post-1982 construction will be designed to be energy efficient) |
No – the cavity needs to be preserved to prevent any moisture making its way from the brickwork to the timber frame and then spreading throughout the frame. |
| Pre-cast reinforced concrete |
Precast reinforced concrete houses where cavities should be kept free of insulation in order to facilitate planned structural inspections. |
No. |
| Double skin masonry, partially insulated cavity |
Double skin masonry built with a partially insulated cavity, e.g. post-1982 construction with a 25 mm cavity and 25 mm insulation against the internal leaf. |
No – the cavity already has a partial insulation and should not be completely filled |
| Double skin masonry, external cladding |
Double skin masonry with external cladding. |
No - drilling through the external cladding would breach the insulation and allow water penetration and may cause other problems such as "cold spots" on the wall. |
| Solid wall |
Some pre 1919 traditional Scots sandstone construction has a 25 mm cavity |
No – the cavity is too narrow for insulation and should be treated as solid wall. |
| One wall with 4" sandstone cover, 15 mm cavity and brick inner leaf |
Treat as solid wall as in previous example. Cavity insulation is not required for this face of the building |
Not in this face of the building, but the landlord should consider whether it is required elsewhere in the structure. |
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