As with all responsible organisations today, Housing Associations are actively seeking to reduce the environmental impact of their activities.

The use of SMS and electronic communication in place of letters and leaflets can make a very significant contribution to the environment, in addition to the benefits of reduced costs and improvedcustomer service. In this respect improved communications technology presents a "win win" opportunity for the Housing Sector and demonstrates a clear environmental commitment.

Traditional areas for Housing Associations to target are the use of optimum building techniques and the creation of energy efficient homes, plus educating tenants in the responsible use of energy with the home, but within the central administration there are also opportunities.

The unnecessary use of paper is a significant area which has begun in many organisations with programmes such as avoiding excess printing of emails for example, but the most significant area is with external communication with tenants and suppliers.

Use of paper has a significant impact on the environment causing problems such as;

• Impact of variable forest management techniques.
• The use and disposal of chemicals in manufacturing – a major cause of pollution and habitat loss.
• The carbon footprint of the pulping and production process, and also in the production and distribution of raw paper and subsequent letters and leaflets.

Deeplake CMGR allows communications to be migrated effectively from letters and leaflets to SMS text and email. Each printed communication that can be replaced represents both a cost saving, but also a contribution to reducing our impact on the environment.

We estimate a Housing Association with 5,000 properties that uses SMS text in place of a letter for just ten communications per tenant per annum would save 50,000 envelopes and stamps and 50,000-100,000 A4 pages with their associated ink and printer impact. A significant quantity of toner cartridges, including the impact of manufacturing and disposal is also avoided presenting a useful contribution to sustainability and carbon reduction.

United Welsh, based in Caerphilly with 5,000 properties under management, deployed CMGR for their Choice Based Letting programme using a combination of CMGR’s two-way SMS notification and bidding features with a Web Information Portal, and reduced printing volumes by 4,000 A4 sheets per month, demonstrating a clear environmental commitment whilst simultaneously and enjoying significant costs savings.

That these benefits can be gained alongside a reduction in costs and increased in customer service ensures that efficient communication will be a key element of the Housing Sectors environmental policies, and can contribute to a higher star rating and improved recognition from the community.

For more information contact environment@deeplake.co.uk.