The Board were presented with a report that provided an update on the Housing Energy & Sustainability team’s progress for the 2024-25 period, emphasising the council's commitment to reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency, and meeting government targets.

The Building Safety & Investment Manager advised that team had made significant strides in upgrading its housing stock, reducing properties in EPC bands D or below from 42% to 17%, thereby contributing to a 28.57% reduction in associated carbon emissions.

The teams progress had been acknowledged by being:

• Shortlisted for the MJ Achievement Awards for leadership in Responding to the Climate Emergency
• Acknowledged nationally by Uswitch Energy and;
• Placed in the top 10 for providers of social housing with the best average Energy Performance rating for the housing stock, with an EPC score of 73.6.

The report highlighted further key initiatives such as:

• Insulation improvements to 270 properties, which would save approximately 167 tonnes of CO2 annually and lower residents' fuel bills.
• The third installation of ground source heat pumps with solar PV at Cleveland House, an Independent Living Scheme. Those homes were expected to reach an EPC A rating on completion
• Secured funding of £2.1 million through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3, enabling the installation of low-carbon heating systems like air source heat pumps and solar PV panels to 240 homes, providing significant cost reductions for our residents.
• Optimised energy use through communal solar PV installations at high-consumption sites like Carl Ekman House and Chantry Court, and reduced reliance on the national grid to 50%, as well as plans to expand battery storage to enhance energy efficiency further
• Exploring the use of energy-saving additives in wet central heating systems like EndoTherm, to support its sustainability objectives.
• Conducting individual appraisals on the 176 ‘hard to treat properties’, to review the level of investment and feasibility of improvement measures required to ensure they still met the current letting standard.

Overall, the report underscored the council’s proactive approach to climate change, demonstrating progress in retrofit programs, innovative renewable energy projects, and strategic funding applications that collectively aimed to improve housing quality, reduce fuel poverty, reduce carbon emissions, and support the council’s broader climate strategy.

The Board congratulated the Building Safety & Investment Manager and his team for a very positive report and particularly acknowledged the work that went into 83% of the Councils housing stock being able to meet the Governments targets for reducing carbon emissions as well as the EndoTherm project which would save residents £5 million over 10 years, resulting in each resident saving £93.71 each year on their fuel bills.

Following a question from the Chair concerning future bids for Government work programmes grant funding, the Assistant Project Surveyor (Energy & Sustainability) explained that the funding that had been received so far had been received from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. That funding was part of a package for a three year programme earmarked for energy saving projects such as the warm home: social housing fund; it was the only funding being released for those sorts of projects so the team would maximise their bids over the three years as much as possible.

The Chair assured the Board that the Council would continue with the programme and seek as much funding from the Government as possible to continue the energy saving work which improved resident lives and provided a whole host of benefits to the wider community.

The Board noted the report.