Anchor secures ‘green’ funding to retrofit homes

Solar panels on roof of new houses

Anchor has secured £2.2m from wave 2.1 of the social housing decarbonisation fund to retrofit more than 300 homes by 2025.

The not-for-profit provider of specialist housing and care for people in later life will use the funding, received from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, to increase energy performance certificate (EPC) ratings.

As well as boosting EPC ratings the plan is to deliver works to improve thermal performance, while reducing carbon emissions and helping residents cut energy consumption.

Works will include energy efficient double-glazing, front and rear door replacements, changing existing heating and water systems with technology such as air source heat pumps, and introducing solar photovoltaics.

Anchor’s bid for the money was part of the Greener Futures Partnership. The five partners – Anchor, Abri, Home Group, Hyde Group and Sanctuary – have secured more than £40m from the social housing decarbonisation fund to retrofit 5,600 homes with a planned investment of over £90m.

The partners have a joint turnover of £2.3bn, representing over 600,000 customers in 300,000 homes.

‘Greening our customers’ homes and communities is a key aim for us. With these funds, and our own significant investment, we will be able to do that,’ said Liz Davenport, property sustainability director at Anchor.

‘Over the past two years we have expanded our programme of energy efficiency works, for example, by replacing or upgrading cavity wall insulation at nearly 8,000 homes with the help of ECO3 funding.’

On the Greener Futures Partnership, she said: ‘Together we represent 9% of the social housing market and one of the ways we are working together to influence the development of skills and capabilities is through combining our purchasing power, procurement methods and knowledge to enable the delivery of works which will benefit and support our customers.’

Another goal for Anchor is to raise awareness of more sustainable living and support customers to achieve change. It has been working with its customers to engage on the need to green homes and communities.

Alex Devkota, research executive at LaingBuisson, discusses poor insulation and its costs to care homes here.