A Pilot Study to Evaluate Occupant Quality of Life in Optimised Retrofit Dwellings in Wales, UK

This paper discusses an investigation into quality of life (QoL) as a pilot study from a sample of occupants living in existing dwellings, that have been (2021) or will be retrofitted in 2022 and 2023, funded by the Welsh Government’s (WG’s) Optimised Retrofit (OR) project. The pan Wales OR project aims to retrofit close to 2000 existing social housing dwellings targeting nearly-zero/zero operational energy standards, to alleviate occupant fuel poverty and reduce energy costs and carbon emissions and increase occupant comfort and QoL. The methodology presented builds on two previous research projects undertaken and completed by two of the authors in 2010 and 2020, to adapt and create a hybrid Short Form-36 (HSF36) health survey, accompanied by the established RAND analysis system. The HSF36 questionnaire survey has been further refined for the OR project and has been used to collect occupant data through face-to-face interviews and online surveys. The occupants live in dwellings manged by one of Wales’s largest registered social housing landlords (RSL’s) with circa 8000 dwellings. The challenges and solutions for undertaking occupant engagement for surveys during Covid19 restrictions are illustrated. Once dwelling retrofits are completed in 2022 and 2023, the intention is to conduct a second and third phase of occupant engagement.