Over 100 council-owned homes in Northampton to become more energy efficient, thanks to £1.25 million in Government funding

23 March 2023

People living in more than 100 council-owned houses in Northampton will benefit from a range of measures to make their homes more energy efficient, thanks to £1.25 million in Government funding.

West Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire Partnership Homes have been awarded the money in Wave 2 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) to retrofit external wall insulation, loft insulation, better ventilation and new windows and doors to more of the older solid wall council homes in the town over the next two years.

Homes benefitting from the ‘Whole House Retrofit Project’ were typically built in the 1920s and 1930s, which are often more expensive to heat and energy inefficient – with an EPC rating in band D or worse – due to the way they were built.

A smart device will also be installed to help monitor internal air quality, temperature and humidity.

It’s the third time West Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire Partnership Homes have been awarded funding as part of SHDF for the retrofit project, taking the total investment in Northampton from this fund to over £10m, since the scheme first started in 2020.

Previously, hundreds of older homes in the St James, Kingsley, Kingsthorpe and Abington areas of the town received energy efficiency upgrades as part of the project.

Since the work has been done, the house has felt a lot warmer and more comfortable

We’ve already seen our energy bills go down but it’s not just about bills, the refreshed exterior of the house is beautiful and the new windows and doors make a big difference – we’re now very proud of our home

We’re so grateful to have received the improvements and would absolutely recommend the retrofit measures to our friends, neighbours and familyMensah, Northampton resident

We are delighted to have been successful with this round of funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

Since the SHDF programme started in 2020, NPH and West Northamptonshire Council have secured over £10m of investment into estates with some of the oldest council homes in Northampton, supporting the local green economy in the process

This funding enables us to continue our commitment and approach to improving housing standards in Northampton, upgrading some of the more challenging house types and ensuring they continue to meet the future needs of residents

Installing external wall insulation, new windows and doors, and improving ventilation results in more comfortable living spaces, much better energy efficiency, and all-round better homesWinston Williams, NPH’s Director of Asset Management

West Northamptonshire Council is working in partnership with NPH to deliver the project.

Environmental issues are a key priority for the Council - whether it’s decarbonising buildings, providing more sustainable travel choices or planting trees, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint while putting residents at the heart of everything we do

We are delighted to have been successful in our bid for this grant funding. We now look forward to continuing the good work done thus far and showing our dedication to sustainability in West Northants. We are also committed to continuing to explore all future funding opportunities to support this important workCllr Adam Brown, West Northamptonshire Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Leisure

Northamptonshire Partnership Homes will write to residents living in homes that are eligible for these improvements in the next few months with more details.

This investment will help thousands of households to heat their homes for less, keep them warm for longer and could save hundreds on their annual energy bill

The green energy sector is growing, and this funding will support green jobs and provide the training needed to deliver these vital upgrades to homesLord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance

Visit the Northamptonshire Partnership Homes website to find out more.