With UK Government’s recent commitments to build 1 million new homes by 2050, the importance of ensuring good indoor quality in new energy efficient airtight homes is paramount. Building Performance Evaluation projects undertaken by MEARU over the last 10 years have consistently cited occupant habits as a contributory factor to the ‘performance gap’ in terms of energy efficiency but also in relation to poor indoor environmental conditions in homes. With occupants spending increasingly longer time indoors then this has a significant problem with health and wellbeing. Reducing ventilation rates to improve energy efficiency and lower carbon emissions, without providing a planned and effective ventilation strategy is likely to result in a more toxic and hazardous indoor environment, with concurrent and significant negative long-term and undesirable impacts on public health.

Occupant guidance and a satisfactory handover procedure is often the missing link between the designer and the end-user of the new homes to ensure the occupant knows how to work it as efficiently as possible. The Scottish Building Standards (Section 6- Energy) have recently introduced the requirement of a Quick Start Guide (QSG) in all new housing and whilst this is predominantly to address issues of energy consumption it also recognizes that guidance on home ventilation is equally critical.

This paper reviews work previously undertaken MEARU which identifies a recommended template for a Quick Start Guide and evaluates 3 new build social housing developments in Glasgow which have used this guidance as part of Glasgow City Council’s target for all new homes to meet the Scottish Building Standards Sustainability labelling initiative (2011) at the Silver Standard accreditation. This paper not only reviews the effectiveness of this occupant guide but also the the associated handover process as an important step towards improving indoor air quality in new homes.