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As the UK’s local authorities and social housing providers continue to decarbonise their housing stock, there is one factor that is shown to determine how successful a project will be: data quality.
As housing providers navigate often complex funding requirements and tightening regulatory standards, the ability to collect and manage property data has become just as important as choosing the right insulation or heat pump.
"Data is absolutely central to retrofit projects," explains Head, who leads the data team within RISE and serves as regional lead for the North and Midlands Warm Homes Social Housing Fund. "Without the right type, and the right amount of data on key factors influencing property selection, it becomes very challenging to determine which homes are suitable for inclusion in a retrofit project, let alone which measures should be prioritised to get the best outcomes."
The challenge is multifaceted. Housing providers have to juggle data from multiple sources: EPC certificates, stock condition surveys, asset management systems, repair records, demographic information, and funding eligibility criteria. Each dataset may use different formats, varying levels of detail, and be maintained by separate departments with different update schedules.
Without proper data governance and management, this creates what is often called "garbage in, garbage out"—poor quality inputs producing unreliable outputs. The consequences reach beyond inefficiency. Inaccurate data can mean that unsuitable properties are included in funding bids, incorrect cost estimates derailing budgets, o – perhaps most damagingly – measures being specified that prove inappropriate once installation begins, causing delays, cost overruns and unhappy residents.
Prioritising the right properties
When it comes to targeting homes most in need of retrofit intervention, Head emphasises a "worst first" approach, guided by two critical data points: EPC ratings and building fabric condition. "Knowledge of which properties hold which EPC rating –
especially those with the lower D, E, F and G ratings – and understanding what the current state of the building fabric is provides the foundation for effective prioritisation. With rental properties below EPC C likely to face further regulation by 2028, there's mounting pressure to prioritise lower-performing homes.”
Historical data on previously installed measures can also be invaluable, helping to avoid duplication, and making sure that new interventions build logically on existing improvements. For organisations receiving Warm Homes funding (either through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, or the Warm Homes: Local Grant), Leeson identifies five key datasets. Beyond EPC bands and property archetypes, Indices of Multiple Deprivation, (which help prioritise vulnerable residents); demographic indicators that inform engagement strategies; and conservation area designations that flag potential planning constraints are all key. "Understanding planning restraints allows you to get ahead of the game with planning permission or any special requirements.“
What actually constitutes ‘good data’ in a retrofit context? Leeson's definition is pragmatic: "Good data is defined by how useful it is in helping you to develop a greater understanding in any given area." This means quality is purpose-driven. Data that proves invaluable for one project might hold little relevance for another. So a clear data strategy is essential before collection begins.
Once relevant data is identified, quality assessment should focus on validation. "Ensuring data is accurate and up to date is key," says Leeson. Public sources – the Census, Office for National Statistics, EPC Open Communities, Environmental Agency – provide regularly updated baseline information. However, these should be cross-referenced against organisational data. "Often data captured by housing providers through their own retrofit assessments of properties might offer more than EPC certificate data alone," he observes.
Maintaining high-quality data requires organisational discipline. Head recommends a centralised approach: "An important step in maintaining good quality data is to ensure all data is organised and managed in one place, where it can be updated and logged as soon as it is collected, ensuring a single source of truth."
This means establishing clear protocols for when new retrofit assessments or EPC certificates are produced. Updates should be immediately logged alongside creation dates, with historical data preserved rather than deleted. "This is a continuous process; old data is retained to provide a useful log of how data has been added if it turns out in the future to be proved wrong," Head explains.
Proper version control and file labelling systems also help to prevent confusion about which dataset is current. This foundation supports both immediate needs and long-term strategic planning. "It allows organisations to efficiently develop suitable projects for funding and locate specific archetypes and measure suitability to build projects that are easy to manage and deliver," says Head.
Strong data doesn't just improve project delivery – it can unlock funding. "If you have strong, reliable, consistent data, then you will be in a great position to argue the business case for carrying out retrofit works, secure senior sign off and access funding," Head points out.
This applies to both internal and external funding sources. Limited organisational budgets demand compelling business cases, where robust data provides the evidence needed for approval. For external funders, comprehensive data builds confidence in projected timelines and budgets, reducing the likelihood of costly surprises during delivery.
Contractors play a crucial role in data gathering and improvement. "Retrofit suppliers play a really important role in enabling retrofit, including data collection and management," says Leeson. "Contractors are often the ones visiting the properties and creating their data profiles."
This creates opportunities for collaboration. Joint development of data templates and shared online resources where information can be stored and synchronised would benefit current delivery while creating valuable archives for future projects. Given contractors' extensive resident contact during installation, their insights can also inform demographic and engagement data that proves valuable beyond individual projects.
As the retrofit sector matures and funding programmes become more sophisticated, the organisations that invest in robust data infrastructure will find themselves at a significant advantage. This doesn't necessarily require expensive software solutions, though home energy analytics platforms can deliver efficiencies, but it does demand systematic approaches to data governance, quality control and continuous improvement.
The RISE programme offers extensive resources supporting this journey, from data strategy development to stock assessment methodologies and software evaluation guidance. As Head and Leeson's experience demonstrates, treating data quality as a core competency rather than an administrative afterthought transforms it from a constraint into a competitive advantage. In retrofit, as in construction, everything rests on the foundation. Get the data right, and success becomes far more achievable.
Authors:
Elizabeth Head is the regional lead for the North and Midlands Warm Homes Social Housing Fund and leads the data team within RISE. As a senior consultant she has supported grant recipients from application through to delivery for HUG 2, SHDF Wave 2.1, 2.2 and now leads a team supporting the delivery of Wave 3. Her specialism in data allowed her to deliver bespoke data support to over 120 organisations applying to warm homes she continues to develop new approaches to data management within housing projects.
Max Leeson is a consultant within Turner & Townsend Real Estate Sustainability Team with an MSc in Environment and Development. He has spent the last 2 years working on Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 and Warm Homes Wave 3. Working as a support manager and specialising in data analysis through work in the data team as a subject matter expert, leading on the geographic information systems work and delivering strategic mapping and locational services to over 120 organisations.
