Wednesday 4 November 2020

Wiltshire council to invest £195m in building energy efficient homes

Wiltshire Council in South West England has announced a £195 million investment in building energy efficient council homes.

The programme, which will see the new homes being built by 2032, has begun with a pilot scheme that is trialling the deployment of insulation, renewable energy and triple glazing technologies to council homes.

The green measures are forecast to help residents save £600 every year.

The local authority also plans to invest £289 million until 2032 on improving existing council homes to ensure they achieve a minimum energy performance rating of B. That will be achieved by deploying high levels of loft and wall insulation and the highest rated windows.

The plan will also see heating and hot water being sourced from non-fossil fuels and the installation of unvented hot water cylinders.

An unvented hot water cylinder differs from conventional types in that it provides mains pressure hot water directly from the cold mains as opposed to tank pressure water provided with a vented cylinder.

The cold water is pulled from the main water supply and is then heated by a heat source that corresponds to the cylinder type.

Councillor Richard Clewer, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: "This decision puts energy efficiency at the heart of our council housing investment plans, both in terms of our new builds and our existing housing stock.

"These changes will not only help us lead the way in seeking to make Wiltshire carbon-neutral by 2030, but will also deliver significant financial savings of up to £600 a year for our council house residents."