Hundreds of council houses and other affordable homes in Leicester are set to benefit from a rolling programme of solid wall insulation.

Leicester City Council is rolling out an £8million programme of work that will see external insulation fitted to over 400 homes, including council houses and housing association properties. The work will help people reduce the cost of heating their homes and contribute to a citywide commitment to cutting carbon emissions.

The first phase of work is now underway in the Saffron area of the city where 65 homes are being fitted with external wall insulation. This is backed by £1million of funding following the council’s successful bid to the Government’s Green Homes Grant Scheme.

When installed, the new insulation will help people save up to an estimated £200 per year on energy bills and reduce household carbon emissions by around 900kg per annum.

A second phase of work due to get underway later this year will see around 300 more homes in the city benefit from new solid wall insulation. This will be backed by £7million from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, following a successful joint bid by the city council and local housing associations. Around 170 of the properties will be council homes, with the remainder set to be a mix of properties owned by Maynard Co-operative Housing Association, Midland Heart, Pinnacle Housing and Ross Walk Housing Co-operative.

Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, assistant city mayor for housing, said: “Officers have done a fantastic job securing millions of pounds in funding for energy efficiency improvements to hundreds of homes across the city which will make a real difference to people’s lives. This ambitious programme of insulating properties across the city will help tenants cut the carbon cost of heating their homes and save money on their energy bills – something that is becoming increasingly important in these challenging times.”

Deputy City Mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “The need to retrofit older buildings to make them energy efficient is among the many challenges presented by the climate emergency.

“This new funding to retrofit hundreds of homes with energy efficient insulation is the next step in an ambitious programme that is already seeing huge investment in cutting the carbon cost of our schools, libraries, leisure centres and other buildings.

“It also just one part of a major, multi-million programme of investment in the city that will help us make an important step forward in our citywide response to the climate emergency.

“Now, more than ever, it is vital that we work with local partners to maintain this momentum and continue to urge central Government to support Leicester’s vision to be carbon neutral.”

 Work is expected to be complete by summer 2023. Green Homes Grant funding is also available to owner occupiers and landlords of privately rented properties.

To find out more about a range of energy efficiency grants on offer for local homes and businesses through Leicester City Council, visit www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/policies-plans-and-strategies/energy-efficiency