Date published: 28 March 2023
Stonewater has secured more than £9m in funding to make energy efficiency improvements to up to 800 homes across eight projects in England.
The funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2.1 will improve energy efficiency which will reduce the running costs of homes for customers and also contribute to lowering the carbon footprint.
Retrofit work to existing homes in Bedfordshire, Bournemouth, Coventry, Dorset, Hereford, Gloucestershire, Smethwick, West Sussex and Wiltshire will include external and internal insulation, fitting heat pumps, high heat retention storage heaters and solar PV bringing the homes up to a minimum of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating C.
Patrick Chauvin, Chief Officer of Safety, Assets and Sustainability at Stonewater said: "We’re really pleased to have secured this funding to improve the energy efficiency of 800 homes. A core focus for us, especially given the current climate, is exploring how we can further reduce the running cost of our homes for our customers, allowing them to sustain their tenancies more easily. This, in conjunction with the cost-of-living worsening, means making the upgrades needed to ensure our homes are warm, efficient and comfortable for our customers has never been more important."
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."
The Government announced in 2020 it was making £3.8 billion available to registered social housing providers over a 10-year period, to improve the energy performance of social rented homes. The SHDF is being rolled out in waves with the second wave totalling £778 million.