Jeff Cook is looking forward to cheaper bills in his more energy efficient home – one of the final properties to be upgraded in our £8m programme delivering new technology into 826 properties.
Our contractor 0800 Repair fitted Solar PV panels to the roof of Jeff’s home in Bedlington – storing and generating power for his property, one of 29 Bernicia houses in the estate fitted with panels.
We’ve completed this project ahead of schedule, delivering a range of retrofit works to Jeff’s home and hundreds of others across Northumberland as part of Wave Two of the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).
The Department of Energy, Security and Net Zero provided grant of £3.4m to part fund the project with Bernicia investing the rest of the finance.
The Government’s target timeline was to spend all grant before the end of March and complete all works by the end of September. We’ve delivered all works by mid-February, making tenant’s homes warmer and using energy more efficiently to cut bills.
The retrofit work comprises:
- Cavity wall insulation in 133 homes
- Under floor insulation in 23 properties
- Loft insulation in 538 houses
- Solar PV in 572 homes
- New double glazed windows in 93 properties
- New heating temperature and time zone controls in 132 houses
- Air source heat pumps in 154 homes
The completion of the latest SHDF funding wave keeps Bernicia well on course to meet our corporate strategy target of having 90% of our homes meeting EPC ‘C’ rating by March next year, four years before the Government said this work must be completed to make homes more energy efficient.
Our plan is to continue to improve the EPC of all remaining stock right across our homes to ensure all customers have warm, energy efficient homes.
Jeff, 51, who has lived in his home in Burnside for five years, said: “I’ve had the solar panels fitted and the work went really well. It took about six to seven hours. It’s absolutely tremendous and hopefully will save me money with my bills.
“It’s the future, reducing carbon footprints and hopefully my home should be warmer instead of just worrying about gas and electric bills. The lads fitting the panels have been tremendous, spot on.”
Tom Beresford, Bernicia Head of Asset and Retrofit, said: “The Solar PV we’ve installed at Jeff’s home will raise its energy efficiency and he will have the chance to sell any unused electricity back into the grid.
“This will help reduce his bills making his home more energy efficient. It’s great news for Jeff and all our tenants who’ve had these energy efficiency measures fitted into their homes.”
