whg secures £1.7m to improve energy efficiency of its homes

whg has successfully secured almost £1.7m in government funding to upgrade the energy efficiency of homes in Walsall.

The leading Midlands’ landlord was awarded £1.68m in the latest wave of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF). The funds will be used to improve 178 of its homes through a range of measures that could include insulation, double glazing and the installation of heat pumps. The total cost of the project is £3.9m, with whg investing the additional sum required to carry out the works.

whg is one of 42 social landlords to have been allocated funds through the national scheme, which aims to to deliver warm, energy-efficient homes, reduce carbon emissions, and help tackle fuel bills and fuel poverty.

Rob Gilham, Corporate Director of Strategy, Assets and Transformation said: “We are delighted to have received this vital funding which we will use to target those properties that are the least energy efficient, helping us reach our goal of getting all our homes up to a minimum rating of EPC C by 2030.

“These improvement works will make a big difference to our customers, potentially lowering energy bills and creating warmer and more comfortable homes.”

According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the improvements will save households an average of £400 a year on their energy bills.

Wave 2.2 of the SHDF has allocated £80m to social housing providers across England. The fund is available to improve homes that are currently below EPC C to make further progress in retrofitting and decarbonising their homes.