Lord Callanan, Business and Energy Minister, visited residents in Northampton on the 18th May, where over £9m has been allocated to carry out major works to decarbonise council homes.
Representatives from West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), and its housing provider Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH), welcomed Lord Callanan to view works in progress and homes where improvement works had already been completed in the first stage of the programme.
Winston Williams, Director of Asset Management for NPH, spoke of how the programme would benefit residents: “We targeted homes built in the early 1900’s, which were some of the least energy efficient properties we manage. Thanks to the social housing decarbonisation fund (SHDF), living conditions will noticeably improve for these residents. Better insulation and ventilation coupled with new windows and doors will make homes easier to heat and more comfortable all year round.”
NPH resident Aliye Galloway said: “I’m so pleased with the work that’s been done on my home. It looks great, and it’s been done to a really high quality. With the new solar panels and heating system, I’m already saving money on my energy bills and my home feels more comfortable to live in. The funding has made a big difference to me and my family, and I can’t thank everyone involved in the project enough.”
The SHDF not only aims to improve the comfort, health and wellbeing of social housing tenants, it is estimated that the fund will support 9,000 jobs in the green energy sector nationally, whilst significantly reducing carbon emissions.
Lord Callanan said: “The UK has a strong track record in improving the energy performance of its homes. This is thanks to projects such as this ensuring social housing tenants in Northampton can enjoy comfortable homes that are cheaper to keep warm.”
“The £1bn we have committed so far for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and associated demonstrator project is helping drive down energy bills for thousands across the country, targeting help to those who need it most by making their homes more efficient and greener.”
Cllr Adam Brown, WNC Cabinet Member for Housing, Leisure and Culture added: “As part of yesterday’s ministerial visit, I had the opportunity to meet a resident whose Kingsley home had recently undergone this work. She was absolutely thrilled with the results and told us how much the improvements meant to her household.
“Hearing about such positive outcomes directly from residents brought the whole project to life and on behalf of WNC I would like to thank those living in the homes we’ve been working on for their cooperation and patience throughout the project.”
Header image shows Lord Callanan with representatives of BEIS, West Northamptonshire Council, and Northampton Partnership Homes.
