The West Midlands Combined Authority's Energy Capital team, working with a consortium of councils and housing providers, has secured £7.5M from the government's Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, the WMCA announced. The money will be used to retrofit 600 social homes across the region, including the installation of low carbon heating systems and solar panels1.
The consortium includes Sandwell Council, Solihull Community Housing, City of Wolverhampton Council, Community Housing Group, Midland Heart, Orbit Housing Group and Wrekin Housing Group1. Retrofit specification work for the social housing programme has begun, and the WMCA said installations are expected to get underway in the autumn1.
The announcement was made at the WMCA's Greener Together Forum, which also heard from Harriet and Chris Martin, a Bournville couple who carried out an extensive insulation programme on their 1930s-built home and installed solar PV panels and energy saving lighting. They estimate the work is saving them around £1,000 a year in fuel bills and has reduced their gas usage by 65% and electricity by 70%1.
Alongside the social housing scheme, the Sustainable Warmth Competition programme has launched in Elmdon, Solihull, and Foleshill in Coventry, following the award of £2.86m secured by the WMCA from central government as part of the £3M Sustainable Warmth Competition awarded earlier this year1. Residents in those areas are being offered support to retrofit their homes with measures ranging from insulation to solar PV to low carbon heat pumps1.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said:
"Specifying the right solutions and building community support under these schemes is absolutely right, and I look forward to the installations getting underway in the Autumn."
The WMCA said its Energy Capital team has already led the region in attracting more than £10m of funding for retrofit projects and has supported partners in additional bids of more than £14m1. The authority has set up the SMART Hub (Sustainable Market for Affordable Retrofit Technologies) as part of its investment to deliver its net zero targets, with an ambition to achieve net zero by 20411.
| Scheme | Funding | Homes or areas | Measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund | £7.5M | 600 social homes across the region | Low carbon heating systems, solar panels |
| Sustainable Warmth Competition | £2.86m | Elmdon, Solihull, and Foleshill, Coventry | Insulation, solar PV, low carbon heat pumps |
Why it matters for households
For the 600 social housing tenants whose homes are in line for retrofit, the measures target the fabric of the building and the source of its heat at the same time. Low carbon heating systems and solar panels can cut the amount of gas and electricity a household buys, which is the same combination the Bournville couple used to reduce their gas usage by 65% and electricity by 70%1. For tenants, the practical effect depends on how the landlord structures rent and service charges after installation, and no detail on that has been reported.
The Sustainable Warmth Competition covers owner-occupiers and private households in two specific areas rather than social tenants, so eligibility is tied to address. The WMCA has not reported how households in Elmdon, Solihull, or Foleshill apply, what the grant covers per home, or whether any household contribution is required.
The wider context is that retrofit funding of this kind is awarded to a landlord or local authority rather than to an individual householder, so tenants and residents do not apply directly. The WMCA's stated aim is warmer homes, help with fuel poverty amid rising energy costs, and progress towards regional net zero by 20411.
What happens next
Retrofit specification work for the social housing programme has commenced, with installations expected in the autumn of 20221. Community engagement is under way in Elmdon and Foleshill as part of the Sustainable Warmth Competition1. No completion date for the 600-home programme has been reported.