Back to the future! £1.9m grants support energy efficient retrofit works on Connexus homes

The ongoing energy crisis will affect tenants in all circumstances, but especially those in older, less energy efficient homes. With difficult circumstances mounting, Connexus is announcing the securement of £1.9million in grants to go towards retrofit works: works to improve the energy efficiency of 230 properties across Shropshire and Herefordshire.

Rising energy bills are a huge part of the cost-of-living crisis for Connexus tenants, with the war in Ukraine and global supply issues driving the wholesale price of gas…and suppliers passing on these increased costs to their customers. April’s price rises saw energy bills rise 54% on average and the average annual energy bill is set to hit a staggering £2,800 by October.

Grants from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will improve the air tightness around windows and doors, upgrade heating controls and provide new heating systems for 102 homes across the region (work on each home will vary depending on surveying). Meanwhile, funding from Local Authority Delivery Scheme 2 (LAD 2) will go towards replacing costly and inefficient oil heating systems and the fitting of thermostatic showers.

Further funding from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will contribute towards adding external wall insulation to older properties with the poorest energy efficiency ratings. Leaky doors and windows will also be upgraded.

The energy efficiency works will also aid Connexus’ contribution to the Government’s “net zero” target, which aims to decarbonise industries and hit net zero carbon emissions by 2050.