Exeter’s council house retrofit programme shortlisted for top awards
Published: 12 May 2023
Exeter’s retrofit housing programme has been shortlisted for two top awards.
The City Council has been shortlisted for the Green Homes Upgrade of the Year in the prestigious Unlock Net Zero Live Awards.
The new awards aim to recognise and champion progress in the UK housing sector's journey to decarbonisation. They also celebrate the supply chain supporting the industry.
The Council has also been shortlisted for the Local Authority of the Year award in the South West Energy Efficiency Awards 2023.
The shortlisting in both awards is for the Council’s housing retrofit programme, which is expanding in the city, improving living conditions and providing affordable warmth for tenants.
Retrofitting includes energy cutting measures including exterior wall insulation, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, new windows and doors and draft proofing measures, as well as heat pumps and solar panel installation.
Cllr Barbara Denning, Lead Councillor for Council Housing, said: “Our team at the Council has done a brilliant job in securing the funds to retrofit our properties, making homes much more comfortable to live in and improving the quality of life for our residents. I am so pleased that this success has been recognised by being shortlisted in these awards.
“In Exeter we have a lot of older properties that we need to make much more energy efficient for the benefit of residents and to cut our carbon footprint, and I am delighted that we are well on the way to achieving this.”
More than 400 Council properties have been retrofitted in Exeter - saving money for tenants on their fuel bills at a time of spiralled energy costs and also cutting carbon emissions.
Funding was recently secured for a further 245 Council houses in Exeter to be fully retrofitted to improve their energy efficiency over the next two years.
The programme is designed to save residents money on fuel bills and lower the city’s carbon footprint by reducing carbon emissions.
The Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund has provided a grant of £1.494m, which the Council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA) will match fund with £1.998m.
In the Unlock Net Zero Live Awards, the Council faces competition from six other finalists in its category. These include SHDF Wave 1 in Coventry, SHDF Demonstrator, Cluster for Warmth, Solar Glass Array in Hawkins Close, Platform Net Zero, and a retrofit project from Westminster City Council.
The winners will be announced at a sustainable awards ceremony taking place alongside Housing 2023 in Manchester in June.
In the South West Energy Efficiency Awards Exeter is up against Cornwall County Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council. The winners will be announced at an awards event at Sandy Park in Exeter on May 18.