More than £150k awarded to make Rochdale homes more energy efficient

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) has been awarded £160k to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the town.

As part of a joint bid between Greater Manchester Housing Providers and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority the funding was secured from the government's Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).

The money will be used to upgrade the energy efficiency of 16 RBH homes in Smallbridge.

RBH hopes the funding will accelerate their journey to becoming carbon-zero and inform long-term plans to ensure all their homes meet good energy efficiency standards.

Clare Tostevin, RBH director of growth said: “This funding will help RBH rise to the climate emergency through greener, low carbon and climate resilient communities.

“As a mutual we will be working closely with tenant and employee members to shape our approach and we have already started this discussion with our elected tenant and employee representatives to discuss and agree our plans.

“We are already working with tenants at 23 homes in Smallbridge to improve the fabric and energy efficiency of their home and this grant will help us get moving straight away with another 16 homes”

The SHDF is a £3.8bn funding commitment, delivered through the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to improve the energy performance of social rented homes.

It aims to upgrade a significant amount of social housing stock currently below EPC Band C, delivering warm, energy-efficient homes, reducing carbon emissions and tenants energy consumption, tackling fuel poverty, and supporting green jobs.

Sara Rowbotham, deputy leader of Rochdale Council and chair of the Rochdale Climate

Emergency Working Party said: “I am really pleased that RBH have been able to access this funding to help improve homes in the borough.

“It is an example of great partnership working to help meet the challenge of the climate emergency that we all need to rise to.”