Council secures major funding to make homes more fuel efficient

Published: 5 October 2020

More than 100 council homes in Exeter are set to be retro-fitted with measures to make them more energy efficient, it has been revealed.

Exeter City Council has secured £600,000 government funding for works to be carried out on 120 of its homes across the city.

The money comes from the government’s Green Homes initiative, which looks to address fuel poverty by making homes more energy efficient.

The work will also help the City Council in its bid to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The Council has already retro-fitted a small number of properties in Wonford and is looking to retro-fit more of its housing stock going forward. All new council homes in the city are being built to high energy efficiency standards.

The retrofit initiative sees the whole house refurbished to deliver the very highest energy standards.

This includes a ground-source heat pump heating system, insulated wall and roof panels and photovoltaic roof panels with a battery storage facility.

Cllr Laura Wright, Lead Councillor for Housing Development and Services, said she was delighted that Exeter had been successful with its bid for funding.

“This is fantastic news and allows us to make our homes in the city much more energy efficient. Not only will this help reduce fuel bills for dozens of tenants, but it is another step towards making all homes in Exeter carbon neutral by 2030 and supporting the city’s wider carbon neutral vision.”