People living in over 3000 social homes in the South West of England will benefit from improvements to boost energy efficiency, following a successful funding bid by the South West Net Zero Hub.
The Hub has received funding of £28.4m and £9.3m to support the delivery of over £82m worth of home upgrades for low income households working together with partners in two consortia, including local authorities and social landlords across an area from Cornwall to the Solent.
The money is provided through the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 (SHDF) and will fund new “fabric first” measures such as roof and external wall insulation that will lower energy bills and keep homes in the region warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Measures such as heat pumps and other energy upgrades could also be an option for homes that are already well insulated.
21 per cent of total carbon emissions in the UK come from our homes, according to the Energy Saving Trust, and these home upgrades will help reduce emissions from households in the South West, helping to meet the UK’s net zero ambitions.
The money will be used to improve the fabric of homes to bring them up to an energy performance rating of “C”. This is the minimum rating that the Climate Change Committee is proposing all UK homes should reach in order to help meet the UK’s net zero carbon target by 2050.
The South West Net Zero Hub will work with two consortiums to deliver the program of work over the next 2 years. Consortium members will deliver the projects with the support of the Net Zero Hub in a collaborative learning environment.
The Net Zero Hub has delivered retrofit programmes before and is now utilising these learnings to effectively support the successful delivery of these rewarding but complex projects.
This is the second wave of funding for sustainable home upgrades that the South West has received in the past 3 years. The Net Zero Hub is currently working in collaboration with regional partners to deliver the first wave of SHDF funding with the aim of helping over 270 households to reduce their heating bills by making their homes more energy efficient.
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund forms part of the government’s commitment to reduce overall UK energy demand by 15% by 2030, as well as supporting the ambition for the UK to move towards greater energy independence.
Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said:
“This investment will help thousands of households to heat their homes for less, keep them warm for longer and could save hundreds on their annual energy bill.
“The green energy sector is growing, and this funding will support green jobs and provide the training needed to deliver these vital upgrades to homes.”
Jon Rattenbury, Programme Manager for the South West Net Zero Hub said:
“This is fantastic news for households in the South West and it takes us a step closer to achieving the region’s net zero targets. We look forward to working with our partners to deliver sustainable home upgrades that will make homes warmer and address fuel poverty.”
