£100m to improve energy efficiency of Leeds council houses

Leeds City Council to invest £100m to improve the energy efficiency of council housing over the next five years. 

Thanks to this new funding, thousands of tenants will benefit from cheaper energy bills and warmer homes.

The money will be spent on installing new technologies, including ground and air source heat pumps, district heating networks, external wall insulation and solar panels.

By improving the energy efficiency of homes, it is expected to help residents facing fuel poverty and prevent the most vulnerable from suffering cold-related illnesses.

The investment will also support the council’s commitment to reduce the city’s direct emissions to net-zero by 2030 and make Leeds a greener, fairer and healthier city. It will also support local ‘green’ jobs in industries carrying out the improvements.

Leeds City Council has been working in partnership with the University of Leeds to identify the best way to target these improvements to maximise the benefits for residents and the environment.

Cllr Debra Coupar, deputy leader and executive member for Communities said: ‘Everyone deserves to live in a warm home that can be heated affordably, so I am delighted that we are ramping up efforts to help even more residents over the next five years.

‘Living in a warm and energy efficient home is better for our health, better for our finances, and better for the planet too.’

Cllr Helen Hayden, executive member for climate change, transport and sustainable development added: ‘This is an ambitious investment that reaffirms this council’s commitment to tackling the climate emergency. We’re doing everything we can to make the properties we own fit for the future.

‘However, we now need a long-term, national plan that enables private homeowners to invest in their properties and gives reassurance to local businesses to hire and train workers with the skills needed to meet the demand for sustainable housing.’

Photo Credit – Pixabay