Smarter Ventilation: The Missing Piece in Britain’s Retrofit Drive

Smarter Ventilation in Social Housing

Ventilation is fast emerging as the next frontier in Britain’s effort to upgrade millions of homes for energy efficiency and Net Zero. While insulation and heating systems have dominated retrofit programmes, airflow could be the difference between homes that simply meet today’s targets and those that remain healthy and resilient for decades to come.

Richard Kemp-Harper, Chief Strategy Officer at AirEx, the UK climate tech company behind the world’s first smart air brick, has published a five-part blog series exploring how better ventilation can protect residents, cut costs for landlords, and safeguard housing stock.

The series, Smarter Ventilation in Social Housing: Monitor, Detect and Respond, argues that ventilation has too often been “the missing link” in retrofit policy and practice; a view increasingly shared by housing providers under pressure to eliminate damp and mould following the coroner’s report into the tragic death of toddler Awaab Ishak.

Unlike insulation or heating, ventilation is frequently forgotten. Yet its absence can undermine entire retrofit schemes, trapping humidity inside increasingly airtight homes. The result is familiar: damp patches, mould, and complaints that place heavy strain on housing teams.

Richard explains that data and insights are vital. By monitoring airflow, temperature and humidity in real time, landlords gain the visibility they need to tackle issues before they escalate.

“Ventilation is too often left out of the conversation, but it is the factor that determines whether upgrades actually deliver the comfort and efficiency residents deserve,” he says. “For social landlords, it is also about protecting their assets and their reputation.”

Collecting data, however, is only the first step. The blogs highlight the growing role of responsive systems that automatically adjust airflow to match conditions inside and beneath the home. These innovations, he argues, turn buildings into “living, breathing” spaces that adapt to short-term changes like cooking or bathing, as well as longer-term shifts in occupancy. For landlords, this means fewer interventions, lower repair bills, and a clearer view of housing stock health.

The resident experience sits at the centre of the debate. Smarter ventilation reduces draughts while ensuring fresh air circulates, creating a healthier and more comfortable environment. It can lower the risk of respiratory problems, particularly among children and older residents, and does so without requiring households to change their behaviour. Importantly, responsive systems also reduce disruption: instead of multiple call-outs to address mould complaints, problems can be prevented before they occur, building trust with tenants.

With housing providers facing strict regulations on response to damp and mould as well as carbon reduction targets, Richard argues that ventilation must be treated as a strategic issue. Poor airflow not only undermines health but also diminishes the energy efficiency gains of insulation and heat pumps. By addressing ventilation, landlords can improve SAP and EPC ratings while demonstrating a commitment to resident wellbeing. This dual benefit, he writes, makes smarter ventilation one of the most cost-effective ways to future-proof housing portfolios.

Momentum is now building. Regulators are paying closer attention to indoor air quality, and campaigners are pushing for stronger standards to prevent damp and mould. Against this backdrop, AirEx’s Floorvent technology has already been installed by major housing associations such as Together Housing and Peabody. Building on this success, the company is now developing a whole-house ventilation system designed to extend the same principles of monitoring and responsive control across the entire home.

Richard believes ventilation will soon be recognised alongside insulation and heating as a core pillar of retrofit.

“Every home is different, and every household uses it differently,” he adds. “That’s why responsive systems are so important. They adapt in real time, ensuring homes are not only energy efficient but genuinely healthy and comfortable to live in.”

The Smarter Ventilation in Social Housing series highlights a necessary shift in thinking: homes are not static assets, but dynamic environments shaped daily by the people who live in them. For housing providers, recognising and managing that reality could unlock major gains in efficiency, resident satisfaction and asset protection.

As Britain scales up retrofit to meet Net Zero and faces the challenges of climate change, ventilation is no longer a compliance detail. It is the missing piece of the puzzle.

The full blog series can be read at www.airex.tech/blog