Sovereign Network Group (202502180)

Decision
Case ID	202502180
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Sovereign Network Group
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	17 October 2025

Background

The resident lives in a bungalow owned by the landlord with her son, who has asthma.

What the complaint is about

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s:
1. Concerns about energy efficiency works and reports of excessive cold in the property.
2. Request for information about her solar panels.
3. Complaint.

Our decision (determination)

We found:
1. Service failure in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s concerns about energy efficiency works and excessive cold in the property.
2. The landlord offered redress to the resident which satisfactorily resolves the complaint about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s request for information about her solar panels.
3. Service failure in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s complaint.

Summary of reasons

The landlord’s handling of energy efficiency works and reports of excessive cold

The landlord’s decision to remove external and cavity wall insulation from its retrofit works program was based on funding. It could have communicated this to the resident more effectively. It did not act on her reports of cold in the property until its stage 2 investigation and to date, has not provided a date for the thermal imaging survey it offered in its response.

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s request for information about her solar panels

The landlord did not communicate effectively with the resident about the solar panels. However, it acknowledged this in its complaint investigation and offered appropriate redress.

Complaint handling

The landlord responded to 3 of its 4 complaint responses outside of its policy timescales and did not address this with any appropriate redress.

Putting things right

Where we find service failure, maladministration or severe maladministration we can make orders for the landlord to put things right. We have the discretion to make recommendations in all other cases within our jurisdiction.

Orders

Landlords must comply with our orders in the manner and timescales we specify. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of compliance with our orders by the due date set.

Order	What the landlord must do	Due date
1	Apology order The landlord must apologise in writing to the resident for the failures identified in this report. The landlord must ensure: The apology is provided by a manager. The apology is specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic. It has due regard to our apologies guidance.	No later than 17 November 2025
2	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £600 made up as follows: £200 offered in its stage 2 response of 15 April 2025 if it has not already paid this. £200 for failing to address the resident’s concerns about property temperature. £50 offered in its stage 1 response of 11 March 2025 for the time taken to resolve her complaint. £150 for its delayed complaint responses. This must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date. The landlord may deduct from the total figure any payments it has already paid.	No later than 17 November 2025
3	Inspection order The landlord must contact the resident to arrange a thermal imaging survey. It must take all reasonable steps to ensure the inspection is completed by the due date. The survey must be completed by someone suitably qualified to complete an inspection of the type needed. If the landlord cannot gain access to complete the inspection, it must provide us with documentary evidence of its attempts to inspect the property no later than the due date. What the survey must achieve The landlord must ensure that the surveyor: Inspects the entirety of the property and produces a written report with photographs. The survey report must set out: Whether the property is fit for human habitation and whether there are any hazards The most likely cause of the cold temperatures in the property. Whether the landlord is responsible to repair or resolve the issue together with reasons where it is not responsible A full scope of works to achieve a lasting and effective resolution to the issue (if the landlord is responsible) The likely timescales to commence and complete the work Whether temporary alternative accommodation is necessary either because of the condition of the property or during the works.	No later than 01 December 2025

Recommendations

Our recommendations are not binding, and a landlord may decide not to follow them.

Our recommendations
We recommend the landlord pays the resident £66 compensation as offered in its stage 2 response of 11 June 2025 if it has not already paid this.

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
10 February 2025	The resident complained to the landlord about its decision to remove cladding works from its energy efficiency program. She wanted to know how solar panels help the cold in the property. She previously asked for a thermal camera survey to investigate the cold without success.
11 March 2025	The landlord sent its stage 1 response. It apologised for any miscommunication about the cladding works. It said solar panels were to reduce electricity costs and not to directly affect the warmth of the property. It offered £50 compensation for the time taken to resolve the issue and inconvenience.
11 March 2025	The resident escalated her complaint. She said earlier surveys showed her house was too cold and she wanted it to install external or cavity wall insulation. She said the cold was affecting her son’s health.
15 April 2025	The landlord sent its final response. It said an inspection on 5 January 2023 found no issue with wall temperatures but found outstanding works. It agreed to complete a thermal imaging survey of the property but explained it would do this during autumn or winter for best results. It offered £200 for unclear communication about works.
29 April 2025	The resident complained to the landlord as it had not provided her with a certificate number for her solar panels.
Between 30 April and 6 May 2025	The landlord sent a stage 1 response to the resident. We have not seen this.
6 May 2025	The resident escalated her complaint. The landlord provided her with the certificate number. However, she felt misled and lied to because it received the number on 25 March 2025.
11 June 2025	The landlord sent its final response. It explained its contractor could not give the certificate number to the resident because she is not the landlord. It was not legally required to give her the certificate number but opted to do so. It did this on the same day it received the number from the contractor, 6 May 2025. It apologised for not responding to her earlier requests for the number soon and offered £66 compensation for time and trouble and communication delays.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident asked us to investigate as she reports ongoing cold temperatures in the home. She would like the landlord to insulate the property and render the external walls.

What we found and why

The circumstances of this complaint are well known by the parties involved, so it is not necessary to detail everything that’s happened or comment on all the information we’ve reviewed. We’ve only included the key information that forms the basis of our decision of whether the landlord is responsible for maladministration.

Complaint	The handling of the resident’s concerns about energy efficiency works and reports of excessive cold in the property.
Finding	Service failure

In 2024, the property was subject to retrofit improvement works under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF). The landlord and its contractor considered a variety of works options, including cladding and wall insulation works, solar panels, ventilation and loft insulation.
On 9 December 2024, the resident asked the landlord why its contractor cancelled the cladding and wall insulation works. On 21 January 2025, it said works had always been subject to assessment and recommendations. It said her property would get loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, solar panels and ventilation.
In her complaint, the resident said a surveyor recommended cladding because of the cold temperatures in the property. She previously asked for a thermal camera survey, but the landlord did not action this. She asked it how solar panels would help with property temperature. She reported issues with the newly installed extractor fans causing damp and mould in the bathroom.
On 4 March 2025, the landlord’s contractor told the resident they were removing all wall insulation from the SHDF retrofit program. In its stage 1 response it explained all works were subject to assessment and never guaranteed. It apologised for any miscommunication. It said solar panels were primarily to help reduce electricity costs rather than affecting the warmth of the property.
The resident included concerns about the property temperature in her complaint escalation request. The landlord found a property survey report from April 2024, where it recommended electrical works to the thermostat to aid property temperature. It recommended completing a thermal imaging survey or heat loss calculation test and agreed this on 4 April 2025.
In its final complaint response, the landlord told the resident it would complete a thermal camera survey in autumn or winter 2025. It explained this would give better results for showing any heat loss. It acknowledged she first reported excessive cold in the property in March 2023 but said this did not complete the complaints process. It offered £200 for unclear communication about the retrofit improvement works.
There were no failures in the landlord’s decision to remove works from the retrofit program. Works under the SHDF are subject to funding and on this occasion, it did not have the required funding for the works. However, it was clear the resident’s complaint about the works were based on her concerns about the cold temperature of her property. It did not address this concern until its stage 2 response, when it offered to complete a thermal imaging survey.
The resident told us the landlord has not provided a date for the survey, and her bungalow is still too cold. It did not appropriately share her concerns with the relevant departments in the complaints process or offer any remedy for this.

Complaint	The handling of the resident’s request for information about her solar panels.
Finding	Reasonable redress

The resident asked the landlord for the solar panel certificate number on 11 February 2025. She wanted to give the number to her energy provider. The landlord told her it did not have the number. It said it could take up to 2 weeks to receive it after completion. It contacted the contractor for more information.
The resident chased the landlord for the number in March 2025. It emailed the contractor and asked them to send the number to the resident. The contractor said it would not usually do this as they provide all documents to the landlord of the property. They said she did not need the number for the panels to work. The landlord did not share this update with the resident.
During March and April 2025, the resident chased the landlord 3 times for the certificate number. On 29 April 2025, she complained about not receiving the number. We have not seen the landlord’s stage 1 response about this issue. However, it provided her with the number on 6 May 2025. She escalated her complaint as the date on the certificate was 25 March 2025 and she felt it delayed providing her with this.
In its stage 2 response, the landlord explained it did not receive the certificate until 6 May 2025 despite it being dated 25 March 2025. It sent the number to the resident on the same day it received it. However, it apologised for not responding to her when she chased it for updates. It offered £66 compensation for communication delays, time, and trouble.
The landlord did not have to provide the resident with the number, but it appropriately identified issues with its communication. Its apology and compensation offer were fair and in line with our remedies guidance.

Complaint	The handling of the complaint
Finding	Service failure

The landlord’s complaints policy says it will reply to stage 1 complaints within 10 working days of logging a complaint and at stage 2 within 20 working days. In this case, 3 of its 4 complaint responses were late. It offered £50 compensation in its first stage 1 response. Its compensation policy says it can offer discretionary compensation for poor complaint handling. It did not offer compensation or apologise for the delays in both its stage 2 responses. Its complaint handling was not in line with our Complaint Handling Code.

Learning

The landlord did not act upon the resident’s original reports of having a cold property. This led to delays in exploring options to investigate and made her feel it was not listening to her. It should ensure it appropriately records concerns like this with the relevant department instead of waiting for issues to pass through the complaints process.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

There were no issues with the landlord’s record keeping in this case.

Communication

The landlord acknowledged problems with its communication during the complaints process. It could consider how it manages expectations about funded work in future to avoid confusion for residents.