North Yorkshire Council to Implement Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Rental Properties

Hundreds of residences rented from North Yorkshire Council are scheduled to receive energy-saving enhancements, aiming to help tenants reduce their expenditures. The authority announced that these improvements would be implemented across 150 social housing properties to address issues stemming from inadequate insulation and inefficient heating systems. The modifications could involve retrofitting homes with measures such as solar panels and new doors and windows to eliminate draughts. North Yorkshire Council stated that this initiative forms part of its strategy to become the first local authority in the UK to achieve carbon negative status by 2040. Many of the properties identified for these upgrades are located in rural areas, where homes are often older and suffer from poor insulation, including villages surrounding Harrogate, Selby, and Richmond. Barbara Rickard, who rents her three-bedroom home in Harrogate from North Yorkshire Council, shared that she had recently benefited from an energy-efficient upgrade. She explained that the improvements included the replacement of her coal and gas fires, the fitting of new doors and windows, and the installation of solar panels. She commented: “Since the retrofit, there has been a significant difference in my home.”I have heating and hot water all the time and I don’t have to struggle with coal or cleaning the fire out.“The whole experience has made my life a lot easier with more space, less cleaning and saving money, which makes me happy.” The council’s upgrade efforts have been partially supported by the latest allocation from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, from which the authority secured £1.7 million in funding in March. Councillor Greg White, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for climate change, stated: “Improving the energy efficiency of homes across the county is vital for protecting the environment and alleviating pressure on residents during this cost of living crisis.” A spokesperson for Align Property Partners, the council’s multi-disciplinary building design consultancy, confirmed that it had improved the energy efficiency of numerous homes across North Yorkshire and would collaborate with the authority to support the rollout. Ron Walton, Align’s managing director, remarked that with the removal of the winter fuel allowance, it was a “great time to try and help with the bills”. He added, “This will be accelerated next year, especially in social housing where people might not quite have the same money other people have.”