Greener homes and buildings

We are committed to making the social housing we own energy efficiency where possible. From 2021, our new build homes will target the highest EPC level rating of A, and all existing properties will achieve an EPC C as a minimum by 2030 in line with the ‘Cutting the cost of keeping warm - a fuel poverty strategy for England’. Moving all existing properties to EPC C is expected to save 709 tonnes of carbon per year, and has an estimated cost associated with the work required of £8.79m in total. 

To date, the Council has gained £1.8m through the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Scheme phase 1, which includes 30% match funding from the Council. A further £320k through the LAD3 scheme enabled the installation of 57 energy efficiency improvements in 34 Runnymede households had an estimated energy saving of 40.75 tonnes per year. 

Council-owned homes across Runnymede are due to get a £2.5million energy efficiency boost over the next two years, in a move which is expected to help tenants cut their bills by up to £750, with an average saving of £473 per year. A total of 169 homes will have a combination of external wall insulation, cavity wall insulation and solar panels installed. The improvement works are possible thanks to a £1.25million grant secured by the Council from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The Government grant will be backed up with another £1.28m from the Council, made up of rent money which tenants have paid over the years. 

This links to our Financial Wellbeing Strategy by helping to address fuel poverty; reducing costs associated with achieving ‘adequate’ levels of heat with our homes.

• Financial wellbeing strategy