Ground-breaking £4 million energy-saving project for 70 homes in Northampton completes

A ground-breaking £4m project has made 70 homes in Kingsthorpe warmer and cheaper to heat - significantly reducing energy bills for residents this winter.

Under the scheme – completed by energy and regeneration experts Equans in partnership with Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) – the properties have been made more efficient with new wall and loft insulation, triple-glazed windows and thermally efficient doors.

The homes - a mixture of two and three bedroom terraced and semi-detached houses - have been fitted with ‘Switchee’ smart thermostats which allow residents better control over their heating systems, helping them save money on their bills.

Ventilation has also been improved with newly-installed mechanical systems - which allow air to flow continuously - helping to prevent condensation and damp.

As a result of these improvements, it is estimated that residents will see their energy bills fall by up to 27% - which could mean a potential saving of around £1,087 per year*.

The project will also save an estimated 4,544 tonnes of carbon over the lifetime of the work carried out – an average of 61 tonnes per property.

Retrofitting the homes has improved their energy performance significantly – with all of the properties now achieving a high Energy Performance rating.

Equans and NPH worked together to secure funding from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which was set up in 2021 to enable housing providers to retrofit homes with an EPC rating below C.

Paul Bingham, Regional Director at Equans, said: “This scheme has helped to pave the way when it comes to decarbonising the nation’s homes and we look forward to seeing the long-term benefits of our work in Kingsthorpe.

“It has been a pleasure to continue our partnership with NPH and to use our expertise to cut carbon emissions in Northamptonshire as we all work together to meet national net-zero carbon targets.”

Winston Williams, Director of Asset Management at NPH, said: “We are delighted with the outcomes of this project, which targeted some of the least energy-efficient homes we manage. We have heard from residents who are extremely pleased with the work done on their homes, and they’ve told us how much easier it is to heat their homes and keep warm. The savings on energy bills is another real advantage with the current rising living costs, and we’re so pleased that as a result of the work, residents will find their homes cheaper to run and more comfortable to live in.”

Arms-length management organisation NPH manages West Northamptonshire Council's housing services – the council has signed up to the UK100 Net Zero pledge which aims to reduce the emissions of residents and businesses to net zero by 2045.