Funding worth more than £1m has been secured by Enfield Council to make council homes more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.
The Council has successfully joined the National Net Zero Retrofit Accelerator project to develop deep, whole-house retrofits of homes in Edmonton Green, Upper Edmonton and Haselbury wards.
The funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) of around £1m will be match funded by Enfield Council from a housing budget set aside for environmental improvements, as agreed by the local authority’s Cabinet in February 2021.
The project aims to make the circa 36 Council homes super-efficient with thermal improvements and renewable energy generation, reducing carbon emissions and lowering residents’ energy bills. The whole-house retrofit approach is a more in-depth package of work than standard retrofit measures such as loft insulation or refitting of windows.
Enfield Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Ian Barnes welcomed this funding: “The Retrofit Accelerator programme helps achieve our climate action aims while reducing energy bills through insulation and low carbon heat and power solutions. It supports Enfield Council’s proposals, as set out in our Climate Action Plan, for all of Enfield’s council housing stock to have a minimum energy performance (known as SAP) of 86 or Energy Performance Certificate B. The partnership will help us test what technologies will work best to continue to retrofit further council homes in the future.
“On top of this, the partnership will also help to develop ‘green jobs’ in construction, manufacturing and project management, making this a project that will benefit local people and the local economy.”
The Cabinet Member for Social Housing, Cllr Gina Needs, added: “We know that Enfield residents are keen to play their part in making the borough a more environmentally friendly place. In addition, this deep retrofit will help lower people’s energy bills and provide environmentally sustainable, warm and secure housing, which in turn will help improve living conditions.”
Enfield Council will join seven other housing partners in the collaborative scheme, which is worth more than £31.3m in total. Enfield Council and the other partners will share their experiences and expertise throughout the retrofit process. The programme will also provide social housing providers access to the technical expertise needed for the success of this and future projects.
Enfield is already home to England’s largest district ground source heat pump system, which heats 400 flats in the borough. In addition, Energetik, the Council owned community heating network, was established in 2015 to provide better value energy for Enfield residents that’s reliable and environmentally friendly.
Find out more about Enfield Council’s Climate Action plans at enfield.gov.uk/climateaction
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