West Lancashire Borough Council granted share of Government social housing retrofit fund
West Lancashire Borough Council has been awarded nearly £1.8 million of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to help 250 Council homes with energy efficiency measures, following a successful bid by officers. This grant will contribute to a wider programme of work funded by West Lancashire Borough Council, with the total investment in the 250 properties reaching just over £7 million over the next two years to support substantial energy-efficiency improvements.
In a bid to boost energy efficiency and cut emissions of homes and public buildings across England, Central Government have granted local authorities - including West Lancashire - a sum of money to contribute towards improvements to vulnerable households and off-gas grid homes. The scheme supports the West Lancashire Borough Council's declaration of a climate emergency and forms part of the UK commitment to reduce overall energy demand by 15% by 2030, as well as supporting the ambition to move towards greater energy independence.
250 homes in West Lancashire with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D or below will undergo improvements that could save tenants between £220 and £400 a year on energy bills. An EPC rating is a review of a property’s energy efficiency, used primarily to see how much energy bills will cost. West Lancashire Borough Council are currently progressing with retrofit assessments on the 250 properties, and once complete, the required measures to increase the energy rating to C or above will be specified.
The measures and improvements will cover a variety of works across each property, including cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, replacement windows and doors, and energy efficient heating including air source heat pumps and solar panels. Each property will be individually assessed to establish the measures and improvements necessary for meeting the higher EPC rating.
Councillor Nicola Pryce-Rovers, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: "We're delighted to have been awarded nearly £1.8 million of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which will help us to tackle fuel poverty and boost energy efficiency in our social housing."
"By committing to making these energy efficient improvements, we can help residents in our Borough to keep homes warmer and cheaper to run in a time of significant fuel poverty for many, whilst making steps to further reduce our carbon footprint."
