Trent & Dove retrofits 32 homes in bid to reach net-zero

Trent & Dove is retrofitting 32 homes in a bid to improve its energy efficiency and reduce customers’ fuel consumption.The work follows a successful consortium bid led by Wychavon District Council to the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).Trent & Dove is funding a third of the £1.5m retrofitting cost for the project.As part of the pilot, the properties – which are in Uttoxeter, Sudbury, Ashbourne, and Abbots Bromley – will receive upgrades such as external wall insulation, internal wall insulation where needed, new doors and windows, loft insulation, and roof enhancements.The type of works will depend on each individual property.The homes are all in rural locations, with the majority being off the mains gas network.Trent & Dove is a non-profit landlord with over 6,000 homes across east Staffordshire, south Derbyshire, and north-west Leicestershire.NHF chief executive Kate Henderson visited the scheme along with representatives from Trent & Dove on 14 July, chatting to residents and to see first-hand the work delivered so far under the project.She said: “Trent & Dove’s decarbonisation project in Uttoxeter is a brilliant example of how housing associations are leading the way in retrofitting homes with support from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, helping the country reach its net-zero ambitions.“These homes not only look smart, but residents are already seeing the difference in warmth and energy costs.“This visit highlighted how decarbonisation, regeneration, and levelling-up should go hand in hand and demonstrated how, with the challenges our country is facing in terms of the cost-of-living crisis, insulating our homes is more important than ever.”Resident Miriam Paggett was one of those who spoke to the visitors.She said: “I can’t fault it whatsoever it does exactly what is says on the tin.“I am absolutely over the moon with it, and my home already feels so much warmer.“The thermostat keeps turning off so quickly, it’s never done that before. I would be very shocked if anyone refuses to have this done – it’s life changing.”The pilot is designed to test residents’ views of the work, measure energy savings before and after works, and build up an understanding of how best to make existing homes more energy efficient.A dedicated resident liaison officer has been appointed by the contractor Sustainable Building Services UK to visit all homes and maintain ongoing contact with residents throughout the course of the project.Trent & Dove is one of the social landlords selected by Wychavon District Council as part of its £5.8m government grant to retrofit an estimated 185 homes.It is hoped that each home will use less fuel.Mark Gormley, Property director at Trent & Dove, said: “We are delighted to be playing our role in creating sustainable communities and helping the UK to tackle climate change.“This pilot project will inform our forward ambitions of reducing the impact our homes and services have on climate change and reducing the energy needed by our customers to heat their homes.“We are thrilled to work in partnership with BEIS, Wychavon District Council and the consortium of social landlords who have made this initiative possible.”Cllr Chris Day, executive board member for Housing, Health and Wellbeing at Wychavon District Council, added: “We’re proud of our commitment to helping people save energy and cut costs, especially at such a challenging time, so it’s great to be part of this exciting new scheme.“We believe it will deliver long-term benefits for residents and the environment.”Read next: Peabody CEO issues statement following inquest into undiscovered body of residentAre you a social housing professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.