Early Engagement Is the Key to Effective Delivery—and Happier Residents

As local authorities move to identify and deliver Warm Homes: Local Grant‑funded retrofit programmes, early engagement is proving critical to successful delivery, value for money and positive resident experience, says Oliver Mooney, Head of Category at Fusion21.

Local authorities are under increasing pressure to improve energy efficiency for low‑income households, including owner‑occupiers and private renters. At the same time, they face rising construction costs, skills shortages and tighter regulatory scrutiny—all of which make delivery more complex.

 

Energy efficiency programmes are far more expensive and complex than they once were. For example, while ECO4 has now closed, the average cost per property rose sharply from around £3,500 under ECO3 to approximately £26,000 under ECO4, highlighting how demanding whole‑house retrofit has become.

Local authorities also face unique delivery challenges compared with social housing providers. Unlike social landlords, councils often lack detailed stock condition data and must manage works across dispersed, privately owned homes. This limits their ability to coordinate area‑based delivery and package work efficiently—making early planning even more important.

Local Grant‑funded projects don’t suit every delivery model. The value per property is typically smaller than Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) schemes, and work is often dispersed over a wide area.

Fusion21’s procurement frameworks give local authorities access to a diverse supplier base, including:

• SMEs suited to smaller, localised projects
• Larger contractors able to manage delivery through local supply chains

“Our frameworks include pre‑approved contractors of all sizes,” Oliver explains. “We also actively encourage larger suppliers to work with local partners, creating a joined‑up approach that benefits residents and councils alike.”

Working with a single contractor to manage multiple workstreams—such as decarbonisation, heating, asbestos, fire safety and compliance—reduces complexity, risk and cost.

By aggregating works under one contract and management structure, local authorities can:

• Achieve better value for money
• Simplify contract management
• Reduce resident disruption
• Improve certainty on timescales and budgets

Fusion21 frameworks also support turnkey delivery models, including consultancy and design for decarbonisation projects—helping programmes stay on track and preventing mobilisation delays.