A £562 million government cash boost for green home improvements will upgrade 50,000 households in social and local authority housing with deep insulation, heat pumps and solar panels.
The Government says this will reduce carbon emissions, help households save up to £450 a year on their energy bills, and support around 8,000 green jobs annually.
The funding will enable more than 200 councils across England and Scotland to fund a nationwide upgrade of the UK’s least energy efficient homes.
The schemes include green improvements, such as cavity wall, underfloor and loft insulation, and replacing gas boilers with low-carbon alternatives such as heat pumps, where appropriate. Solar panels will also be installed on many social homes.
The Government says emissions from domestic properties currently account for around 25 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions and that these green home projects will help eliminate more than 70,000 tonnes of carbon annually. This is the equivalent of the total direct and indirect carbon footprint created by around 9,000 UK households.
Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s Housing Spokesperson, said: “It is good the Government is investing in boosting energy efficiency in social and council housing, which will save households money, combat fuel poverty and help reduce carbon emissions.
“Councils are leading the way in tackling climate change and are committed to delivering green improvements, but have faced challenges with the competitive, short-term nature of grant funding, which requires councils to have sufficient staffing and capacity to apply.
“Providing long-term funding would better enable councils to help achieve our national net-zero ambitions, supported by giving councils the flexibility to set energy efficiency standards above the current Building Regulation standards.”