Community celebrations for energy saving home transformations
Imagine an entire community coming together to celebrate the transformation of their homes.
This is what happened in the coastal town of Immingham in Lincolnshire, where our Green Funding Solutions team have upgraded almost 300 homes using the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).
In one of the largest SHDF schemes ever delivered in the UK, we’re acting as a playmaker and driving the change to the new energy world. Our team have worked alongside Thrift Energy to make these homes warmer and cheaper to heat, as well as giving them a new look - all through external wall insulation and ventilation upgrades. In fact, local residents can even expect to save up to £315 per year on their energy bills, depending on their heating system and energy use1.
And to celebrate the completion of the homes in Immingham, our team organised a Summer Fun Fest for all the residents at Lincolnshire Housing Partnership’s Reed Mere estate with outdoor games, ice cream and plenty of fish and chips.
Immingham resident, Joshua Foskett, said: "It’s brilliant that the whole community has come together today to celebrate the end of the project, and it’s great to see the houses looking like brand-new homes. We can’t wait to see how much we’re going to save on our bills."
The project was truly a community affair with pupils from Eastfield Primary School in Immingham coming up with creative designs for the hoardings at the site. And the school children also attended the fun day celebration at Reed Mere, spending time with the team to learn about green energy and the benefits of insulation, as well as finding out about potential future careers in the green energy revolution.
Candice Grantham, our senior deliver manager on the project said: "The thing for me is the difference to when I first came to the estate. The difference between then and now and also hearing the positive feedback from the residents about the way the project has transformed their homes, making the properties look smarter and feel more comfortable all year round. We know that EWI is one of these measures that makes the biggest difference to residents."
And there’s more to come. Phase two of the project continues in Grimsby with more green retrofit improvements to a further 322 homes and will begin over the summer. The team will also upgrade 119 flats across the two estates as part of the energy efficiency improvement programme.
SHDF is a government initiative that aims to make social housing properties warmer and more energy efficient, tackle fuel poverty and improve the comfort health and wellbeing of social housing residents.
To find out more about the Social House Decarbonisation Fund, as well as the other energy efficiency grant available, visit eonenergy.com/energy-efficiency-grants
1. Savings are based on insulating a gas-heated semi-detached home, current heating system and household usage.
Figures for England, Scotland and Wales are based on fuel prices as of April 2024. Source: energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/solid-wall-insulation/