£740,000 funding secured to improve energy-efficiency of homes

Northamptonshire Rural Housing Association has secured over £740,000 in Wave 2.1 of the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).

The Government’s Net Zero strategy aims to achieve Net Zero by 2050, with social housing providers required to achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C for all homes by 2028. The SHDF will support Northamptonshire Rural Housing Association (NRHA) to improve the energy performance of our homes to ensure they meet this target.

NRHA will match the SHDF funding, bringing the total investment to retrofit homes to over £1.4million. This will enable us to upgrade 56 homes to meet, or exceed, EPC Band C.

The improvements will include:

• replacing inefficient heating systems with air source heat pumps
• installing solar panels which have battery-powered storage
• and increasing loft insulation and cavity wall insulation.

These retrofit measures, which will be delivered over two years, will make homes warmer, reduce the number of households living in fuel poverty and lower energy bills, improving the comfort, health and wellbeing of residents.

Delivering energy-efficient homes will also have a positive environmental impact by reducing carbon emissions for residents.

We recognise that customer experience in fundamental to the success of the project and will be increasing resources, including a dedicated surveyor and Tenant Liaison Officers to ensure residents are supported throughout the process and their needs are heard and acted on.

Northamptonshire Rural Housing Association's Company Secretary, Richard Mugglestone, is looking forward to making a start on the upgrades:

“This funding gives us the opportunity to accelerate our commitment to improve the energy performance of our homes. We know the cost-of-living increase, especially high energy costs, is making life very difficult for many of our customers. This level of investment will improve the warmth and energy-efficiency of our lowest performing homes, cutting residents living costs and making a real difference to their lives.”

Our bid was part of a consortia bid submitted by Midlands Net Zero Hub. The Hub, which is accountable to Nottingham City Council, secured £47m in total to retrofit social homes in the Midlands, enabling providers to continue to create and regenerate sustainable homes, and build resilient, thriving communities in the region.

Update:

Find out what the first customers to receive the retrofit works think about them!

Published: 23.03.23