Vital work to improve the energy efficiency of over 100 council-owned properties will help to ensure even more families are living in warm and comfortable homes.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been awarded £1.39 million from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2.2 following a successful bid put together by the city council.
The money will be spent on essential work to help improve the energy efficiency of 106 council-owned homes in the city. The work, which includes cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, improved ventilation and double-glazed windows, will be carried out over the next two years at properties primarily in Chell and Norton, whilst under floor insulation will be installed in properties elsewhere in the city.
Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, regeneration and planning, said: “We are coming out of the worst of winter now but already we need to focus our efforts on the next cold snap. We know that homes with poor energy efficiency are more prone to damp and mould, so we are pleased to have been awarded this funding which will enable us to continue to tackle these issues.
“Over 70 properties in Smallthorne have already benefited from energy efficiency improvements through the first round of SHDF funding, so we know how successful a project like this can be.
“It is estimated that this latest round of improvement work could save tenants up to £400 on their energy bills per year, helping to support some of the city’s lowest income families.”
Cllr Robinson added: “We are committed to addressing the root causes of damp and mould and are doing everything we can to help lift struggling families out of fuel poverty. Everybody deserves to live in a safe and warm home.”
In total, the latest round of funding saw the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero award more than £75 million to 42 councils and housing associations across England – including Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
Over the next five years, the city council will be investing £117 million through a capital investment programme which will see more than 14,500 homes benefit from upgrades and improvements.
The programme will support improvements such as new boilers, bathrooms and kitchens, the remodelling and extending of existing properties to accommodate larger families and the installation of energy efficiency measures to ensure all properties achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating C by 2030.
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