Hounslow Council has been awarded £4.3m in funding by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. 

The funding, part of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, will help deliver a £13.6m project to retrofit 348 council homes across Hounslow. The scheme will help hundreds of residents to be lifted out of fuel poverty and deliver on the Council’s progress towards becoming net-zero.

The funding could provide an average fuel saving of £110 per annum for social housing properties that receive the retrofitting.

The measures include:

  • external wall insulation
  • ventilation
  • double-glazed windows
  • loft insulation.

Councillor Sue Sampson, cabinet member for Homelessness and Housing Management at Hounslow Council, said:

“We know our residents are really struggling to heat their homes this winter as we grapple with the biggest cost-of-living crisis in decades. Improving the thermal performance of homes by applying measures such as external wall insulation and enhanced ventilation can considerably reduce energy bills and improve residents’ comfort. It also illustrates the innovative way Hounslow Council is working holistically, combining its net-zero strategy, estate investment plan and action plan for preventing damp and mould.”

In 2019, Hounslow Council declared a Climate Emergency and pledged to become a carbon-neutral local authority by 2030.

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said:

“This investment will help thousands of households to heat their homes for less, keep them warm for longer and could save hundreds on their annual energy bill.

 “The green energy sector is growing, and this funding will support green jobs and provide the training needed to deliver these vital upgrades to homes.”

Hounslow Council is already leading the way in decarbonising its borough. In 2020, a similar scheme run by the Department of Business Energy and Industry Strategy awarded £19m grant funding, which saw 32 primary schools and 29 public buildings fitted with low-carbon technologies. As part of the project, four council leisure centres are now carbon neutral.

Councillor Katherine Dunne, deputy leader of Hounslow Council and cabinet member for Climate, Environment and Transport Strategy, said:

“Hounslow is leading the way on tackling the climate emergency, and this pioneering project aims to deliver warm, energy-efficient homes, reduce carbon emissions, tackle fuel poverty, and support green jobs.”

 

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