Sustainable Smart Technologies (SST) has successfully completed the installation of its smart home monitoring platform across 30 social housing properties in Greater Manchester as part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) 5G Innovation Region programme.
Working in partnership with Onward Homes and Southway Housing Trust, SST deployed its technology across 20 Onward-managed homes and 10 Southway properties to help housing providers improve resident wellbeing, identify energy inefficiencies and better understand housing conditions in real time.
The installations were completed by the end of January 2026 — just four months after SST was awarded the contract through a competitive tender process.
Delivering Real-Time Insight for Housing Providers
SST’s platform monitors temperature and humidity levels across four rooms in each property, providing housing officers with live environmental data to help identify conditions linked to damp, condensation and mould growth.
The system also integrates smart meter data, enabling housing providers to identify residents who may be on unsuitable energy tariffs and helping support wider efforts to tackle fuel poverty.
Niamh Allen, Managing Director at SST, said:
“We are proud to have delivered this installation programme to a high standard at pace, using pioneering technology to assure residents that their homes are fit for the future.
“My team and I make sure to meet as many residents as possible, to learn about their experiences and to address their queries firsthand.
“As a business we are led by a sense of purpose and social value — we want to ensure that bills are more affordable, that energy is sustainable and that people are content with the places in which they live. That’s what our monitoring platform enables us to do.”
Supporting Retrofit and Sustainability Goals
SST is the technology arm of Sustainable Investments, which also owns retrofit specialist Sustainable Building Services (UK) Ltd (SBS).
Several of the homes involved in the project are now due to receive energy efficiency retrofit upgrades from SBS. This creates an opportunity for SST to compare pre- and post-retrofit performance data, helping housing providers independently assess whether retrofit investments are delivering the intended outcomes.
The platform’s monitoring capabilities can also help identify properties where additional investigation or support may be needed following retrofit works.
At Southway, SST expanded on earlier work involving connected Daikin air source heat pumps by integrating heat pump performance data directly into the monitoring platform.
By combining environmental monitoring and renewable heating performance data within a single dashboard, SST demonstrated the flexibility of its open, hardware-agnostic platform, which can integrate with existing technologies without requiring housing providers to replace current systems.
Scott Murray, Head of Asset Management and Sustainability at Southway Housing Trust, said:
“SST’s new platform allows us to see our existing heat pump data alongside their environmental monitoring all in one place.
“This will help us make sure that our customers get the benefits of having the heat pump systems in their homes.”
Resident Engagement at the Centre of Delivery
Resident engagement formed a key part of the rollout, with SST achieving a 100% sign-up rate across all 30 households and no withdrawals following installation.
In Onward-managed communities where Bengali is a commonly-spoken language, SST produced bilingual English and Bengali materials to support accessibility and resident understanding throughout the process – a decision that drew positive feedback from residents and their families.
The company’s hands-on approach to onboarding, informed consent and ongoing communication was recognised positively during GMCA project governance meetings.
Wayne McDonald, Head of Capital Investment at Onward, said:
“This project is evidence of the great work that can be done in housing when partners align their goals.
“SST worked closely with our on-site teams and engaged sensitively with our customers throughout. The bilingual materials made a real difference in this community, and SST’s hands-on approach meant we could focus on supporting our customers through the wider retrofit works.”
Helping Shape the Future of Connected Housing
Unlike some smart monitoring solutions that generate large volumes of raw data, SST’s platform is designed to provide clear, actionable insight that helps housing teams quickly identify which properties may need attention.
Its open data architecture also allows integration with sensors, solar panels, batteries, inverters and other technologies already deployed across housing portfolios, helping providers make better-informed decisions while reducing operational pressures.
As part of the wider programme, GMCA is now developing a procurement framework aimed at making proven smart monitoring technologies more accessible to social housing providers across Greater Manchester, without each organisation having to start from scratch.
John Duncan, Connected Places Lead at GMCA, said:
“We want to understand how advanced connectivity can improve everyday life for people across Greater Manchester and social housing is a really important place for us to explore that.
“Now that the installation phase of this work is complete, we’re keen to see what the data tells us and how housing providers use that insight in practice.
“We’ll use that learning to share clear, evidence-based lessons with the wider housing sector, focused on what makes a meaningful difference to people in their homes.”
Funding for the GM 5G Innovation Region project was provided by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology through its 5G Innovation Regions programme.
To learn more about SST and its smart home monitoring platform, visit www.sustainablesmarttech.com.