Writing for the BRE, Helen Garrett (national government data and insights lead) says that local authorities are key to ensuring that support reaches the most vulnerable groups but need to identify people in those groups, work out what are the most effective energy efficiency improvements and then decide how to deliver those improvements.

The BRE identifies the 6 most vulnerable groups as being:

• Younger households
• Single parent households
• Private renters
• Households living in uninsulated homes
• Households living in the oldest homes
• Ethnic minority households

Helen says many of the above findings are related and gives the private rented sector as a significant connecting factor amongst these groups. She points out that the BRE helped Bolton council tackle poor housing and support vulnerable residents by using the BRE's Housing Stock Condition Model and that using the model also helps local authorities improve health and well being outcomes by identifying properties, and the households in them, where support is most likely to be needed. The data provided by BRE to Bolton helped the council to better predict the potential costs for rectifying a range of issues in housing stock such as fuel poverty and energy efficiency.

Her extremely insightful piece can be read here.