A retrofit pilot to test the latest in energy efficiency solutions has got underway at homes in South Gloucestershire.
We're working with South Gloucestershire Council on the project at four of the housing association’s homes across the area. The two houses and two flats all have some of the lowest energy efficiency ratings of our stock in the area. But the programme of works being carried out will raise their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings from a D to a B.
Each home is having a co-ordinated, bespoke set of improvements installed across the entire property to improve its energy efficiency. Among the measures being fitted to the four homes in the pilot include external wall insulation, new roofs, PV cells, air source heat pumps, new triple-glazed windows and doors, under floor insulation and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery units.
Investment Manager John Wootton said: “The Government has told housing associations that it expects all of our homes to have an EPC rating of C or above by 2030. We’ve already done a lot of work to improve the energy efficiency of our homes and more than 90% of our 47,000 homes are already at this standard and now we’re going further.
“Working in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council on this pilot marks a shift in our approach. Instead of installing individual improvements, we’re trialling whole-home solutions that are tailored to each property. What works in one home may not be suitable in another, so we’re looking at each property individually to maximise the impact of our work.
“By monitoring the energy use and conditions in these homes in the weeks and months after the work is complete we will be able to assess the effectiveness of the work and how it has improved the lives of our customers living in them. Providing customers with homes that are affordable to rent and to run provides them the best possible chance to thrive.”
South Gloucestershire Council is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The council recognises the scale of this challenge, and so is working with partners locally to help reduce the environmental impact of everyday life in the district. Making homes more energy efficient and helping them to reduce their carbon footprint not only reduces running costs, but the cost to our local environment for years to come.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member for the Climate and Nature Emergency, Cllr Louise Harris, said: “The council is working with Bromford to find practical solutions so that residents can improve the energy efficiency of their homes as part of our commitment to net zero. Taking these steps reduces costs to residents now and into the future.
“By working with Bromford we want to be able to demonstrate to homeowners and landlords that it’s possible to make real improvements to people’s houses now and for the future.”