Lincolnshire and Leicestershire housing energy efficiency improvement project reaches 500 home milestone
A £10million project to improve hundreds of East Midlands homes is making a real difference to residents across Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
As part of the improvement programme – completed by sustainable regeneration specialist Equans, on our behalf – 500 homes across Lincolnshire and Leicestershire have benefitted from major energy efficiency upgrades, which have helped to lower residents’ energy bills and cut carbon emissions.
Eco friendly air source heat pumps have been installed in the properties, along with solar panels to provide a more cost effective and energy efficient way to power the homes.
External wall, cavity and loft insulation has also been added to help retain heat and keep the properties warmer for longer, with improved ventilation systems fitted to support better air circulation and reduce the risk of damp issues.
It is expected that residents could save up to £1,100 a year on energy bills.
Nicola Wadlow, a Chapel St Leonards resident whose home has been improved by the partnership, is extremely happy with the work done to her home. She said: “I just had the solar panels fitted and I am absolutely ecstatic. Not only is it helping me, but it’s saving the money that you need to live these days with the cost of living.
“The team were absolutely fantastic; there was no problem whatsoever, they were perfect.
“I would highly recommend it to anybody at all. If you’ve got the chance to get solar panels fitted, do it. Don’t think twice.”
Susan Berry, another Chapel St Leonards resident who has noticed a big difference in her bills, said: “I noticed a difference straight away, I haven’t been topping up nearly as much.
“My energy company even sent a letter checking if I was OK because I hadn’t topped up in a while! It’s made a big difference already and it’ll help even more in the winter.”
Overall, the project – which has seen Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings improved from as low as band D to as high as a band B – is also expected to save around 950 tonnes of carbon per year – equivalent to taking more than 200 cars off the road.
Louise Reynolds, Regional Director at Equans UK & Ireland, said: “Reaching the 500 home milestone is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work of everyone involved.
“These upgrades are not only helping residents reduce their energy bills but also making a real impact in cutting carbon emissions and improving living conditions.
“We’re proud to support Platform Housing Group in its journey towards net zero and look forward to continuing our partnership to carry out even more improvements across the region.”
Lianne Taylor, our Director of Sustainability said: “We are delighted to be working with Equans to deliver high quality retrofit works for our customers and their homes.
“Our retrofit programme is helping us to enhance the energy efficiency of our homes and reducing the carbon emissions associated with our homes. It is also helping our customers to reduce their energy bills making them warmer and healthier.
“It’s great to collaborate with Equans as we work towards our shared goal of reducing carbon emissions and creating more energy efficient homes for our customers.”
The project was partly funded by a £5million grant from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, now renamed the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF).
Photo caption : Resident Nicola Wadlow with Equans and Platform representatives