£1.6 million for more energy efficiency Devon home upgrades

41 properties improved over last year

Homes in West Devon are to get a £1.6 million boost to improve energy efficiency over the next three years.

The funding has been awarded to West Devon Borough Council from the government’s home upgrade grants scheme (HUG).

Forty-one private sector rented properties in the borough received retrofitting measures from the last round of funding, at a total cost of £866,000.

Retrofitting can include adding insulation, upgrading windows and improving lighting, hot water and heating systems. Other energy efficiency measures include installing solar panels.

As a result of the work done in West Devon energy bills in the upgraded properties have reduced by as much as £300 a year and CO2 emissions by 164 tonnes a year.

West Devon Borough Council’s hub committee heard that HUG2 had been “challenging” and the number of properties completed was slightly lower than the target of 55. This was reflected nationally.

In this third version of the scheme known as “warmer homes,” no targets were set, but principal environmental health officer for the council David Sexton said he aimed to spend the money quickly so he could ask the government for more.

He said the team had been hit by problems when arriving at properties including rats and asbestos, but that the expertise gained from the previous schemes would allow them to hit the ground running.

Head of environmental health Ian Luscombe said if the council could prove the success of the project there would be more money to come.

“The team has gone from a cold start and set up a procurement system and a supply system that will enable us to roll straight into the next three year programme. It’s brought a huge amount of support into West Devon where we can help most vulnerable residents.”

Cllr Lynn Daniel (Green, South Tawton) passed on a message of thanks to the team from a local resident who said her home upgrade took longer and was more complex than anticipated but for the first time she is warm in her own home.

Leader of the council Cllr Mandy Ewings (Ind, Tavistock South West) said despite not managing to achieve as many upgrades as was hoped this was a “true success story”.

She urged councillors to come forward with names of people struggling to afford heating bills as the council might be able to help.

Under the HUG scheme, private landlords are required to contribute one-third of the total costs of any upgrades.

All properties eligible for funding must be domestic off-gas grid dwellings with an EPC rating of band D or lower and households must have a combined gross annual income of under £31,000 or be located in economically deprived neighbourhoods.