Hundreds more homes in the North East and Yorkshire will received energy efficiency home improvements to slash energy bills after our region smashed its delivery targets.
The North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub has secured £14million of extra funding to improve another 2,381 properties across the region.
More than £3million of the extra £14million granted will be used in the Tees Valley.
An extra 200 homes managed by Darlington Borough Council will be improved with measures including new loft and wall insulation, double glazing and low-carbon heating technologies such as heat pumps.
Social housing provider Thirteen will also retrofit a further 381 homes in the Tees Valley thanks to the extra funding.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “People across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool are still being hit by the high cost of energy bills and that is money coming straight out of hardworking families’ pockets.
“This funding means hundreds more homes will get the upgrades they need to stay warmer, waste less energy and bring bills down.
“We’ll keep fighting to get every penny we can to ensure our families are spending less of their hard-earned money on heating their homes.”
The Hub led consortium of 22 local authorities and housing providers secured extra backing from the Government for exceeding its targets where other regions fell short.
And this figure has been further bolstered by co-funding from consortium partners.
The fresh funding follows a successful first year of delivery, where the consortium improved the energy efficiency of more than 1,600 homes.
Thirteen’s chief investment and property officer Sharon Thomas said: “We’re delighted to secure this additional funding, which means we can help even more of our customers benefit from warmer, more energy-efficient homes.
“By working in partnership across the Tees Valley, we’ll be able to retrofit hundreds more homes, improving comfort, reducing energy use, and helping residents lower their household bills.
“These upgrades will not only make homes warmer and more sustainable, but will also contribute to reducing carbon emissions and supporting investment in local communities.”
The North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub is funded and directed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Great British Energy. Strategic leadership is provided by a board made up of representatives of the six Combined Authorities of the North East and Yorkshire. The Tees Valley Combined Authority leads the consortium as the Hub’s host authority.
Consortium members that will utilise the additional funding are: Darlington Borough Council, Karbon Homes, believe housing, Bernicia Homes, Broadacres Housing Association, Gentoo Group, Great Places Housing Group, Doncaster City Council, Northumberland County Council, Thirteen Group and Tyne Housing Association.
Steve McKinlay, CEO of Tyne Housing, said: “Securing this additional funding is a fantastic endorsement of the work our teams and partners have done over the past year, rolling out the first phase of this project. Achieving all our Year 1 targets meant we were eligible to bid for further investment, and we’re delighted this has now been approved.
“Through the programme, we’re making real improvements to our housing stock, which will help some of the most vulnerable residents stay warm and live a better life. The additional funding means we can extend those benefits to even more homes across Tyneside.”
Karen Oliver Spry, Manager of the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub, said: “This funding is a boost and reflects the strong delivery of local partners working to improve social housing, cut carbon emissions and help residents live in warmer, healthier homes.
“With this latest allocation, hundreds more households will benefit from energy-efficiency upgrades, improving comfort and wellbeing while helping to reduce household energy use and bills.
“It will also bolster the region’s own net zero ambitions and create opportunities for local supply chains and retrofit businesses across our area.”
The North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub is part of a national network of hubs in England, funded and directed by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to support local areas to implement their local energy strategies, and to support delivery of the government’s Clean Energy 2030 ambition and key national policy such as the Warm Homes Plan and the Local Power Plan.
