Framing and Mapping the Governance Barriers to Energy Upgrades in Flats.

It is important for climate change mitigation, and to address fuel poverty, that multi-owned properties (MoPs) containing flats are refurbished with energy and carbon saving technologies (energy upgrades). This article explains how the ownership and management (governance) arrangements of MoPs can limit or inhibit energy upgrades. A building governance framework is adopted to examine the energy efficiency gap in MoPs through two lenses: an organisational lens that focuses on complex decision-making, and a 'law and technology' lens that explores the role of title deeds. Although the problem is particularly acute in England and Wales, where flats are sold on a leasehold basis, there is a broader issue whenever there is co-ownership of buildings containing apartments, and policy measures designed to improve energy efficiency in homes must pay particular attention to the complexity created by governance arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]