Welsh Government invests in social housing energy upgrades
Amelia Jones
Social housing tenants could see warmer homes and lower energy bills following the Welsh Government’s announcement of an extra £14.1 million for energy efficiency improvements.
The funding increases this year’s total investment in the Optimised Retrofit Programme (ORP), which supports energy efficiency upgrades in social housing, to £107.1 million.
Since 2020, the programme has supported 31,000 energy efficiency upgrades across Wales, including insulation, efficient heating systems, and renewable energy installations.
Social landlords involved in the programme are said to monitor health indicators, including mould and moisture, to provide guidance and support where needed.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Jayne Bryant, said the funding is aimed at helping social landlords remain safe, comfortable, and energy-efficient homes while addressing fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions.
Bryant visited a retrofitted sheltered housing scheme in Tredegar run by social landlord Hedyn, where residents have already seen changes in their homes.
Among them was 94-year-old John Nicholls, who has lived there for 30 years, said he is now able to reduce energy costs. “It’s warm, and I can switch the heating on from my phone before I get home,” he added.
The Cabinet Secretary also met Tai Hedyn decarbonisation surveyor Callum Davies.
Davies completed training to become a retrofit assessor and is now in the second year of a four-year Building Surveying degree at the University of South Wales through an apprenticeship scheme.
“The training allowed me to gain retrofit assessor credentials and continue my studies while working,” Davies said. “It also gave me experience in installing low-carbon heating and hot water systems in social housing.”
With the additional funding, more tenants are expected to benefit from measures including insulation, modern heating systems, and renewable energy installations in social housing over the coming year.
Landlords say the upgrades can contribute to lower energy costs and help create homes that are easier to manage and maintain.
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Certainly political parties are against net zero projects such as retrofitting homes, ie adding insulation which reduces energy bills.
The benefits need to be made clearer for all to understand; eg a two bedroom house has additional insulation that cost £2000, heating bills fall £250 per year – so after 8 years the house has paid back its’ investment in insulation and then the savings are £ 250 per year. Then a family that lives in a house for 30 years gets a saving of 22*250=5,500