Wiltshire Council's home upgrade programme takes a step forward

Wiltshire Council will be seeking to work with a specialist contractor to help deliver energy efficiency measures to up to 175 existing homes in the county.

In March, the council was successful in securing more than £3.6m as part of the government's Department of Energy Security and Net Zero's Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 scheme. This additional funding will allow the council to support retrofitting owner-occupied and privately rented homes that are not connected to mains gas and have an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of band D-G, subject to household income levels.

At its meeting on 12 December 2023, the council's cabinet agreed to the project being provided by single main contractor and so the procurement process will now commence.  

A whole house retrofit takes each house in its own right and considers the fabric, the heating and hot water requirements, ventilation and the people living in the property to establish the correct energy efficiency measures to implement for that individual property. If this project proves to be successful, there may be additional funding available from the government to carry out retrofit work to additional homes.

Some of the measures deployed to retrofit a property include:

• energy efficiency measures such as wall and loft insulation
• low-carbon heating technologies such as heat pumps
• renewable technologies such as solar PV
• smart measures such as smart heating controls

Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said:

"We want to ensure that this funding helps those who need it most, and bringing in an experienced specialist provider will help to ensure that. If this project is a success, not only will it significantly improve the energy efficiency of some peoples' homes, likely saving them money in the long run, but it will also mean we have a greater chance of accessing additional funding to allow us to do even more.

"Our aim is for Wiltshire to be a place where we are on the path to be carbon neutral and to take responsibility for the environment. As a council and large organisation, we continue to lead from the front, and hopefully inspire others to take action."

The full cabinet report, with more information can be found at Agenda and draft minutes Cabinet - Tuesday 12 December 2023 10.00 am (opens new window).