Archives: Definitions

The Right to Repair is a statutory scheme in the UK designed to ensure social housing tenants receive urgent, small-scale repairs within legally prescribed timescales. Established under the Secure Tenants…

  Decarbonisation refers to the process of eliminating or drastically reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gas emissions from residential buildings, particularly through energy efficiency upgrades, renewable energy adoption,…

A ductless air exchanger, often referred to as a decentralised MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) system, is a ventilation device designed to supply fresh air and extract stale air…

A legal and contractual term describing a property’s failure to meet minimum habitability or maintenance standards, particularly in social housing. Governed by obligations under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985…

The Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations are statutory requirements introduced under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015. These regulations mandate that landlords of…

MVHR is a continuous mechanical ventilation system that simultaneously extracts stale indoor air and supplies fresh outdoor air while recovering heat from the extracted air to pre-warm incoming air. This…

A hybrid ventilation strategy combining passive background ventilators (e.g., trickle vents in windows or walls) with intermittent mechanical extract fans in high-moisture areas (e.g., kitchens, bathrooms). This system provides continuous…

Passive Stack Ventilation (PSV) is a natural ventilation system that uses the principle of stack effect (warm air rising) to extract stale, moist air from internal spaces (e.g., kitchens, bathrooms)…

The Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) refers to the phenomenon where urban areas experience significantly higher temperatures compared to their surrounding rural or suburban regions. This temperature disparity is primarily…

Fuel poverty refers to a condition where a household is unable to afford sufficient energy to maintain a healthy and comfortable living environment. In the UK, a household is officially…