Charity Bank introduced a free Energy Savings Tool designed to help housing providers, charities and social enterprises understand how to improve the energy performance of their homes. The tool has been created to offer practical guidance for organisations that want to reduce energy consumption, lower costs for residents and support long-term sustainability goals, but may not have in-house expertise or the budget for specialist consultancy at the early planning stage.
Understanding the challenge
Social housing providers are increasingly focused on improving the energy efficiency of their properties, driven by rising energy costs, the need to reduce carbon emissions and the responsibility to offer warm, comfortable homes. Yet knowing where to start can be difficult, particularly without specialist expertise. Many teams struggle to assess current performance, understand the impact of potential improvements or plan investment with confidence.
The Energy Savings Tool provides a simple starting point. By answering a few questions about a property, users receive a tailored report with an estimated EPC rating, projected energy costs and carbon emissions, as well as recommended improvements and indicative costs and savings. This helps providers identify priorities and shape retrofit plans without the need for immediate detailed surveys.
Developed in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, the tool is grounded in trusted data and expert insight. It serves as a valuable first step towards strategic investment planning, stronger sustainability reporting and more informed decision-making across housing teams.
Real-world value
Early users of the tool have emphasised its usefulness in shaping their approach. One housing provider commented that it offered instant clarity on where to focus improvement efforts and gave them confidence to explore next steps, including building a stronger business case for retrofit investment. For organisations managing a large and varied property portfolio, this type of accessible assessment can help prioritise actions and support long-term planning.
By offering this tool, Charity Bank aims to help the sector move forward with practical, achievable progress on energy efficiency. It also aligns with the bank’s ongoing commitment to support organisations making environmental improvements, including through access to dedicated green lending options for retrofit and sustainability projects. These financial solutions sit alongside the tool as part of Charity Bank’s broader mission to help social housing providers deliver homes that are warmer, healthier and more sustainable for the people who live in them.
