More than 2,000 social houses in Coventry have benefited from energy efficiency improvements.
These improvements include external wall insulation, installing solar panels, installing heat pumps and adding fans into homes.
The work has been part of the Citizen housing association’s drive to make homes warmer, more affordable to heat, and better for the environment.
A total of £67.6 million was invested in the programme, including £23.8 million from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and £44 million from Citizen.
The housing association also worked in partnership with Coventry City Council, Westdale Midlands and Sustainable Building Services (SBS) to deliver these significant improvements to homes across the city.
Citizen customer, Stephen Cracknell, had solar panels installed and said he has really seen the benefit of them.
He said: “I’ve had six solar panels installed on the roof which help me enormously with my electricity bill, and I’m especially grateful of this going into the winter time.
“It’ll be so much cheaper for me and I couldn’t be happier with the work. I was quite surprised but I’ve seen the benefit already – it was instant. Each month I look at my bills and my electricity one has gone down by already comfortably by two thirds, so that means it's more money for shopping.”
Another customer who had external wall insulation installed in his home by Westdale was George Hargreaves.
He said: “My bills are lower since having the work done and I’ve noticed that the house is a lot warmer. The external wall insulation has made a big difference since I’ve had it installed.”
Cllr Lynnette Kelly, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, went to visit both homes. She said: “It’s really good to hear the positive feedback from local people and see the work for myself. The energy efficiency improvements are providing practical benefits for Citizen tenants, improving housing standards and helping people to save money on their energy bills.
“I hope that we can look at more funding opportunities because this has been such an important and beneficial scheme.”
Director of Asset Management at Citizen, Bridget Guilfoyle, said: “We're thrilled to hear the difference these improvements have made for our customers and that many have seen the benefits straight away.
“These customer stories are just two examples of the positive impact our work with SBS and Westdale has had across Coventry. Through this programme, we've helped create warmer, more energy-efficient homes while supporting customers with their energy costs.”
As part of the project Westdale has worked on 1,195 homes and SBS has worked on 741 homes.
Steve Roberts, Regional Director at Sustainable Building Services added: “We’re extremely proud to have worked alongside Citizen, Coventry City Council and the wider project team to deliver such an important programme across Coventry.
“More than 2,000 improved homes is a significant achievement for everyone involved, and it demonstrates what can be achieved when clients, contractors and the supply chain work together towards the same goal.”
Adrian Bishop, Westdale Midlands Managing Director, said: "This has been a landmark project for Westdale Midlands, delivering meaningful improvements to homes and communities across Coventry.
“Residents are already seeing the benefits of warmer, more energy-efficient homes, while the scheme has also enabled us to create new training and employment opportunities through our External Wall Insulation Training Academy.’’
Gareth Keith at GJK consultants, who supported both Coventry City Council and Citizen in their successful bid applications and subsequent project delivery, said: “It is fantastic to see the positive impact this large-scale retrofit programme has had on Coventry residents.”