Hundreds of Surrey residents to benefit from energy-saving home upgrades
Waverley Borough Council leads retrofit programme in latest phase of government funding
Families across Surrey are set to benefit from warmer homes and lower energy bills thanks to an ambitious home retrofit scheme run by the local council.
Waverley Borough Council, based in Surrey, serves nearly 130,000 residents and manages around 5,000 social homes.
As part of its target to be a carbon neutral council by 2030, the council is working to upgrade homes across the borough to ensure they meet the appropriate Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) standards.
Councillor Paul Rivers, co-portfolio holder for housing (operations and services), said: “In terms of housing, it’s fabric first, but in terms of tenants, it’s people first.”
In terms of housing, it’s fabric first, but in terms of tenants, it’s people first.
Energy Performance Certificates rate the energy efficiency of a building and help residents to understand energy usage, identify areas for improvement and potentially save money on energy bills.
The rating scale rates a property from a very efficient A to least efficient G, with council ambitions to achieve EPC-C by 2030.
To support this target, the council is installing energy efficiency upgrades at 59 homes across the borough.
The upgrades include cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, solar panels and other energy-saving improvements.
Councillor Steve Williams, portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, said: “Their [residents’] homes are warmer, they’re better insulated, and their energy bills will be reduced because in this instance, particularly, by cutting carbon emissions we are actually tackling that desperate problem of fuel poverty which afflicts so many of our tenants in the current cost of living crisis.”
Watch our short video with Councillors Paul Rivers, Steve Williams and Janet Crowe, co-portfolio holder for housing (delivery), to hear more about why work like this is a top priority for the council and people of Waverley.
Upgrades to these initial 59 homes were made possible thanks to government funding through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.2.
Funding for this scheme is delivered on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Annalisa Howson, council joint assistant director of housing, said: “The Wave 2.2 project is about delivering homes that people feel good about and showing that the council is serious about quality and care.
“It supports the council’s goals around sustainability, equality and the delivery of affordable homes, while also making use of available funding to help bring these ambitions to life.
“It reflects a genuine commitment to improving homes, even in rural areas and demonstrates that meaningful change can happen when the right funding and approach are in place.”
It reflects a genuine commitment to improving homes, even in rural areas and demonstrates that meaningful change can happen when the right funding and approach are in place.
Key lessons, opportunities and successes identified through Wave 2.2 of the scheme also put the council on stronger footing to apply for the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 where it plans to continue to scale up retrofit works across the borough.
Through this latest phase of the government scheme, Waverley Borough Council has been awarded just over £2m grant funding and is aiming to upgrade a further 270 homes, improving the lives for hundreds more local residents.
Watch our short video featuring the council’s strategic asset manager Katie Reilly. She talks about her experience of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.2 and shares her vision for future projects.
As well as looking forward to the next phase of its retrofit programme, the council is keen to share its learning with councils across Surrey.
Through this, it aims to alleviate challenges for best benefit of residents across the wider area.
Annalisa added: “The council has a strong belief that the sector has a responsibility to share knowledge and explore new possibilities together.
“We’re already sharing learning and case studies with Guildford [Borough Council] through a shared partnership.
“These case studies focus on individual homes and residents, helping to highlight the real-life impact of the work and the difference it is making on the ground.”
Keep an eye on the news area of our website as we continue to share stories from residents whose homes have already benefited from the energy-saving upgrades.
They’ve managed to save on bills and change the way they use their energy.
