100 homes in Highfields, Leicester made warmer

Residents in the Highfields area of Leicester now have warmer, cheaper to heat homes, thanks to a muti-million pound energy efficiency improvement scheme.

100 households have benefitted from the project, which completed this month and is estimated to save residents hundreds of pounds per year on their energy bills.

The project marks a £3.4 million investment in PA Housing properties, with £1.2 of this allocated through Wave 2:1 of the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The scheme, which is delivered on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, aims to lower carbon emissions from the UK’s social rented homes and reduce fuel poverty.

On behalf of PA Housing, energy and regeneration expert Equans has installed new cavity wall, loft and external wall insulation to help prevent heat escaping from the terraced houses.

Newly-installed smart thermostats and sensors record the homes’ temperature and comfort levels, helping the residents and PA Housing monitor and address issues like fuel poverty or damp.

Wendy, 81, has lived in her home on Avon Street for 35 years. She said: 

Martin Ardron, Operations Director at Equans, said: “These homes have been completely transformed and are now much more comfortable to live in.

“I’m pleased that residents are now less worried about heating their homes as the colder months draw in. With energy costs set to rise again this month, schemes like this are vital in helping to reduce fuel poverty.”

Donna Brace, Director of Asset Management at PA Housing, said “Providing our residents with a safe, secure and warm property that they’re proud to call their home is central to what we do at PA.

“The transformation of these homes is incredible, and we’re so pleased we were able to partner with Equans to make such a difference to our residents like Wendy who will benefit from these improvements for many years to come.”

All homes upgraded through this project now have a C-rated Energy Performance Certificate, previously homes were rated D or E. This improvement means that around 50% less carbon will be emitted from the homes into the atmosphere.