Torridge District Council is pleased to announce that Westward Housing’s local customers are already feeling the benefits of a £1.5 million grant to improve the environmental impact of more than 100 local homes.
The decarbonisation funding is just one of the projects that is being funded as part of the government’s Community Regeneration Partnership Scheme. The project will see improvements made to 113 Westward homes in Torridge to improve energy efficiency and performance.
Homes with a current E or F rating are being upgraded to a C or above. Improvement measures have included adding or increasing insulation, higher specification windows and doors, heating systems and other changes to make homes warmer and more affordable to heat.
When asked if it was worth getting the work done to her home, Westward customer, Susan, said: “Definitely. Not just for energy savings, but for the look of the house and the feel inside. My home is a lot warmer and more comfortable. It feels really cosy.”
Early feedback from customers is very encouraging, with many already stating that they are warmer and are saving money on their energy bills. This is prior to completing other measures to their homes.
Westward customers, Linda and Andrew, had multiple measures installed in their bungalow including new windows as part of the project.
Andrew said, “The windows are fantastic, ever since they put them in, we’ve had no problems.” His partner Linda adds, “No moisture, no condensation – absolutely fantastic.”
Councillor Ken James, Leader of Torridge District Council, said: “I am delighted that residents are starting to feel the benefit of this funding. I am delighted that some of these households are already experiencing warmer homes which are cheaper to heat and more enjoyable to live in because of these measures.
“It’s fantastic to be working in partnership with Westward Housing and I look forward to exploring more opportunities to work together to deliver further benefits to the residents of Torridge.”
Stephen Lodge, Westward’s chief executive, said: “I am thrilled to hear from our customers that this is making a real difference. This funding gives us the opportunity to help make life a bit more affordable for these customers. I am delighted for the 113 households who will experience warmer homes that are cheaper to heat and more enjoyable to live in because of this partnership working. We can now achieve more sustainable homes for our customers to enjoy, with lasting improvements on comfort and cost.
