Hundreds of Watford homes to get energy saving insulation

Watford Community Housing (WCH) will be contacting people in its least energy-efficient homes over a two-year period to provide external wall insulation.

The insulation will be added at no cost to the householder and will aim to slash their bills by improving the way their home retains heat.

Home with external insulation (Image: WCH)

It will also make homes more weatherproof and improve sound resistance which WCH says "means a warmer, quieter home that is cheaper to heat”.

WCH chief executive Tina Barnard said: “We know the impact that high energy bills are having on our customers, and we want them to know that we are doing all we can to support them with good-quality, comfortable homes that are affordable to heat.

“This funding will allow us to invest in futureproofing existing homes, which will not only save our customers money in the short term, but also ensure that our homes are more environmentally friendly in the long term, as we pursue a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050.”

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Funding means £40 million will be spent on 1,500 homes across the Greener Herts consortium which includes Watford Community Housing, B3Living and settle, and Dacorum Borough Council.

It follows a successful application to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), providing £14 million in government funding which the Hertfordshire housing providers added £25 million to.

Three Rivers residents will also receive improvements as the district council and Thrive Homes will use £2.19 million in SHDF funding to improve the energy efficiency of 155 homes.

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Three Rivers District Council leader Councillor Sarah Nelmes said: “This funding presents a vital opportunity to tackle fuel poverty and improve the homes of our residents.”

“Meanwhile, with home energy use accounting for 28.8% of the district’s greenhouse gas emissions, the funding will also help reduce Three Rivers’ contribution to the climate emergency and delivers progress towards making homes net-zero ready,” she added.

“It’s a win-win for all involved.”

Nationally, wave 2.1 of the SHDF has awarded £778m of government funding to support the installation of energy performance measures in social homes in England.