Work to improve energy efficiency in 102 Wyke homes begins
At the beginning of 2022, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) consortium, of which Incommunities is a part alongside six other Yorkshire based housing providers, were successful in a bid for funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The fund was set up by the government department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to help social housing providers improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The aim of the funding is to get as many homes to band C EPC rating as soon as possible, with funding delivered in waves over the next ten years.
Work has started on Incommunities properties in the Wyke area of Bradford with 102 homes to receive energy saving measures such as wall and loft insulation and new windows and doors. Properties should move from bands D and E to band C with savings for customers anticipated to be in excess of £300 per year.
Incommunities is also linking planned programmes of works for boiler upgrades and roofing replacements to minimise disruption for customers.
This is a 12 month project with two-thirds of the funding coming from the BEIS and significant investment from Incommunities, bringing the total project value to more than £3 million.
A second funding application, again in partnership with the WYCA consortium, is already in progress with plans to improve a further 300 Incommunities properties over the next 3 years if successful.
Incommunities Chief Executive, Rachael Dennis said “We are delighted to be part of this project, working to improve the energy efficiency of our homes.
It is exciting to see work start on the first phase, introducing energy saving measures and improving the energy efficiency ratings in homes -ultimately saving customers money.”
Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, said “People across West Yorkshire are facing the toughest cost of living crisis many of us have ever experienced.
“Investing now to make homes more energy efficient will make it cheaper for people to heat their homes and protects households from future price hikes.
“That’s why we are planning to double our investment in retrofit schemes to help more households across our region.”
