£166,000 RETROFIT FUNDING AWARD WILL HELP HOLSWORTHY HOMES HEAT UP AND SAVE MONEY
Affordable housing provider, Westward Housing Group, is about to launch a major improvement programme for some of its homes at Holsworthy in Devon, thanks to an award of £166,084 from Ready for Retrofit.
The Ready for Retrofit programme, run by the Energy Saving Trust is providing this grant to Westward so that the organisation can replace heating systems in Croft House which provides designated social housing for the elderly.
The existing storage and immersion heaters in Croft House are at the end of their life and as a result are inefficient and ineffective. They will now be replaced with an innovative communal ground source heat pump system provided by South West based manufacturer Kensa Engineering Ltd.
Westward’s landlord in the area, Tarka Housing, will also be contributing to the cost of this replacement heating system, bringing the total funds to be invested in Croft House to £249,058. This will improve the energy efficiency of all 21 flats within four separate buildings. It is expected that the new heating system could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 62% for each flat.
Jon Rattenbury, Ready for Retrofit manager said: “The scheme undertaken by Westward is important to Ready for Retrofit as it provides opportunities for the local market and supply chain. We are pleased to see local supplier Kensa Engineering Ltd. involved with the scheme as supporting the local supply chain, which is a key aim for Ready for Retrofit, to help create a strong and sustainable retrofit sector within the South West.”
Joshua Jackson, Head of Asset Management at Westward said: “The critical thing for us is that this new heating system will give our customers fuel cost savings at a time when energy costs are rising all the time and in an area where income is relatively low. This funding will allow us to improve the energy efficiency of Croft House and benefits both Westward and our customers. We are committed to using local heating engineers for the installation as part of our commitment to the local economy and supporting local business.”
Once the ground source heat pump is installed and operational, Westward will hold an open day at Croft House so that other local social housing providers and private landlords can view the installation and see how it performs.
Joshua Jackson continues “By holding the open day, we will be able to demonstrate how this model can be applied to all types of housing stock in rural areas without access to mains gas”.
The £8 million Ready for Retrofit programme is a funding opportunity for social landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their homes through retrofitting renewable heat and electricity measures. Partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund the programme aims to support the supply chain for retrofit by stimulating demand.
For more information please visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.
For more information, please contact Julie Everett at Coast Communications on 01752 847135/ 07866 002635 or email julie@coastmarcoms.co.uk
Ready for Retrofit
Ready for Retrofit is a three-year project offering a new funding opportunity for social landlords in the south west of England (except Cornwall) to improve the energy efficiency of their existing stock. The aim of the project is to grow the local supply chain for low carbon building retrofit by stimulating demand and supporting local SME businesses, in order to create a sustainable domestic energy efficiency and microgeneration sector.
ERDF
The Ready for Retrofit project is part financed by the SW Competitiveness European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf
Westward Housing Group
Westward provides more than 7000 affordable, high quality homes and housing-related services across Devon and Cornwall. Westward comprises Westcountry Housing and Tarka Housing, working in partnership with local authorities to meet the needs of local people in the greatest need of housing. Help to Buy South West and commercial developer Horizon Homes are also part of the Westward portfolio. Media contacts: Email: vanessa.gray@westwardhousing.org.uk or visit: www.westwardhousing.org.uk
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