Edinburgh’s council homes to be carbon neutral under £2.9bn strategy

Moves are being made to make council housing in Edinburgh some of the most sustainable in the country as part of an ambitious £2.89 billion programme.A new report from the City of Edinburgh Council reveals the significant investment that has already been made by the local authority in improving the energy efficiency of new and existing properties, helping to make homes warmer and more environmentally friendly, as well as reducing fuel poverty.More than half of council homes have benefitted from energy efficiency measures over the last five years, including the installation of 7,100 new heating systems, 1,600 homes fitted with new windows and doors and 2,900 homes insulated. This work now means that over 70% of council homes are now compliant with EESSH – the kitemark for sustainable architecture – and plans are being developed to roll this out even further to generate an 85% reduction in Co2 emissions.The findings will be considered alongside a report updating on progress towards the council’s 30-year housing strategy, which aims to build 20,000 new, affordable, carbon neutral homes and deliver improvements to the neighbourhoods where council tenants live by retrofitting properties to improve their energy efficiency. The update confirms that over £310m has already been invested, delivering more than 28,000 improvements, 600 new homes and key services aimed at reducing tenants’ cost of living. An additional £390m in capital investment is set to be made between now and 2030 – bringing the total level of investment to £2.89bn.