Council announces £21 million energy efficiency programme for council homes

The grant from the third wave of the Government's Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund supports the council's work to ensure all council homes have a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C by the Government's deadline of 2030.

At a meeting of full council last night (Wednesday), councillors agreed to match fund the Government's £10.7 million - a condition of securing the grant - from the council's Housing Revenue Account, a ring-fenced budget which can only be spent on the management and maintenance of council tenants' homes.

Now the council plans to partner with energy firm E.ON to deliver the programme, installing energy efficiency measures such as external wall insulation, solar panels, air source and ground source heat pumps, cavity wall insulation and loft insulation.

Cllr Claire Edwards, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for communities and homes, regulation and safety, said the programme aimed to improve the health and wellbeing of tenants by delivering warm, energy efficient homes which reduce both fuel bills and carbon emissions.

"We're delighted to have secured such a significant grant from the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund's third wave of allocations and with the council's match funding now agreed, we can push ahead with our ambitious plans to deliver energy efficiency improvements to more than 1,000 council homes over the next three years," Cllr Edwards added.

News of the £10.7 million grant follows the £1.086 million grant the council received - and match funded - in 2023 from the second wave of funding from the then called Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

The funding saw energy efficiency improvements installed at 112 council homes in Rokeby and Long Lawford, a project which was nominated for a West Midlands Energy Efficiency Award earlier this year.

Cllr Noreen New, Rugby Borough Council's Liberal Democrat group spokesperson for communities and homes, regulation and safety, said: "This is fantastic news and we look forward to hearing how much these energy saving improvements will help our tenants keep warm whilst also reducing their energy bills."

Work on the £21 million energy efficiency programme looks set to start later this year.