Social housing residents in Three Rivers and Watford will benefit from a £1.6m grant to make their homes more energy-efficient which could help them save hundreds of pounds.
Three Rivers District Council and Watford Borough Council, in partnership with Thrive Homes and Watford Community Housing, will share the grant from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), to help fund a £3m project to improve the energy efficiency of 139 local homes.
The new funding will be used to improve the energy efficiency of Thrive Homes and Watford Community Housing social housing properties. The investment will help remove approximately 1.5 tonnes of CO2e per home per annum, contributing to the decarbonisation of Three Rivers district and Watford borough.
Cllr Sarah Nelmes, the Leader of Three Rivers District Council, said: “It’s a tough time for householders at the moment, with national news of escalating energy costs — so the timing of this investment could not be better. It will mean that many residents across Three Rivers will hopefully see savings on their energy consumption and warmer homes in the months and years ahead, which in turn will bring the environmental benefits of reducing carbon emissions.”
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, commented: “Our energy efficiency insulation projects are part of our local efforts to encourage and support people to cut the carbon and financial cost of heating their homes. Our team has done a fantastic job in securing over £1.6m of grant funding with Three Rivers District Council, Watford Community Housing and Thrive Homes, as well as overseeing the support provided to help residents heat their homes more efficiently and support the town in doing its bit to tackle climate change.”
Jo Barrett, Executive Director of Operations at Thrive Homes said: “Heating homes is responsible for a third of all emissions in the UK, so decarbonising it is essential if the UK is to reach net zero. This grant will allow us to bring some of our least energy-efficient properties to EPC level C, reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions and the impact of rising energy prices for our customers.”
John Swinney, Sustainability Lead for Watford Community Housing commented: “This is such important work, both for its environmental benefits and the cost-savings it will provide for tenants at a time when prices are rising and money is tight. I’m really pleased that we can provide a service that will actively benefit residents now, but also futureproof these homes for the next generation of customers. It is vital that we continue to work towards net zero carbon, ensuring that homes are both affordable and environmentally friendly.”
Around 20,000 social homes across England will be made warmer and more energy-efficient thanks to £179m of government funding that has been awarded. The grant follows on from the existing Green Homes Grant work and will continue the local upskilling and employment in the green energy sector.
The funding will also support around 9,000 jobs nationally in the green energy sector and deliver carbon emissions savings equivalent to taking up to 6,000 cars off the road in any given year. The SHDF is a £3.8bn government commitment over a 10-year period to improve the energy performance of socially rented homes.
