We visited two customers to find out their thoughts on the energy efficiency upgrades we installed recently at their homes. The upgrades were part of our ongoing programme of retrofit improvements for customers living in our least energy efficient properties, including 33 bungalows in Westbury.
Nathan Anscombe, Selwood Housing's head of programme delivery, explains how retrofit works can benefit customers.
Retrofit measures can make a huge difference. Customers should find that over time they will use less energy and have cheaper bills. It can also help reduce health problems associated with poor air quality, as retrofitted homes often have better air quality and ventilation. They also have reduced condensation, which can be a factor in damp and mould.
Have the energy efficiency upgrades made a difference?
Ray is 80 years old and has lived in his bungalow in Field Close, Westbury, for 17 years. Following a heat pump installation 10 years ago, Ray was happy to have further energy saving measures installed at his home.
We had solar panels put on in September, the loft filled with the extra layer and the windows have been done, which is perfect. So, it’s lovely and comfortable and warm now!
William has lived in his home for 12 years and was also delighted with the upgrades. He is particularly pleased to see the savings in his energy bills.
I used to have a shower, do the washing and hoovering and that was £3.50 or £4, and now it’s £1.50, maybe £2. When I used to get up in the mornings, it was 16.5°C. It is now 22°C! I would say they are really worth doing.
The retrofit process
Retrofit works are carried out by our specialist partner Low Carbon Exchange. To begin the process, they visit customer homes and carry out a whole house assessment. This takes up to two hours and is a straightforward process that, once completed, allows retrofit measures to be recommended.
Nathan Anscombe explains that homes will have individual requirements, depending on the assessment results.
So far, we’ve completed works at 72 off-gas homes including fitting solar panels, adding or topping up cavity wall insulation, installing high-heat retention electric heating and topping up loft insulation. An assessment may also recommend an air source heat pump or more efficient doors and windows. Customers are often surprised by how easy it is to install these upgrades!
Once the upgrades are completed, we make sure customers understand how to use them, including leaving useful guides. Six months after the installation, we'll get in touch again to see how customers are getting on with the new measures and to discuss whether any tweaks are needed to keep things working at an optimum level. Our customer liaison officer, Josh Walmsley, is also on hand to help with queries at any time.
Next steps in our energy efficiency improvements programme
We hope that customers will be equally satisfied when we begin the next phase through 2024/25 to retrofit a further 80 customer homes. An award of £1.4 million in 2023 from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund has been critical in enabling this programme of energy efficiency upgrades.
We believe that everyone has the right to a safe, warm and sustainable home and our aim remains for all customer homes to achieve a minimum EPC C rating by 2030. You can find out more about our efforts to improve energy efficiency and our approach to decarbonisation in our annual Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) report.
