Energy saving alterations installed in Warwickshire homes free

Fifty council homes in Warwickshire with low energy ratings will receive whole-house energy retrofits using some of the latest technology available [1].

It is one of 19 projects which shared £62 million from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator programme [2].

Warwick District Council has been awarded £1.4 million to retrofit an estimated 50 homes, creating a decarbonised neighbourhood. It will install external wall insulation, window glazing and suspended floor insulation, to keep residents warm through the winter months. It will work with Oxford Brooks University to deliver the project. It is expected to support 25 local jobs.

The homes selected will have the money and energy saving alterations made for free including; the replacement of windows with high-performance triple glazing, under floor and loft insulation and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to reduce the risk of damp and mould, and provide fresh filtered air [3].

Rajat Gupta, Professor of Sustainable Architecture and Climate Change at Oxford Brookes University [4], is leading the building performance evaluation of the scheme