More than 200 park homes in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire have been upgraded by energy efficiency charity Warm and Well.
The project was funded as part of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy’s Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme, in collaboration with the seven local authorities in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire and the Gloucestershire NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.
Park homes are often poorly insulated and difficult to heat, with compounding factors that make some residents more vulnerable to the effects of cold weather and high heating costs. The scheme tackled these issues head-on; aiming to alleviate fuel poverty and improve health outcomes, ensuring residents were less likely to need to visit GPs or hospitals, a benefit both to them and the rest of society.
An incredible 204 park homes have been insulated during the scheme, between October 2020 and March 2022, with ten hard-to-heat rural homes also receiving air source heat pumps co-funded through the Warm Homes Fund. The park homes were fitted with external wall insulation, which was then painted to create a modern and fresh appearance.
In South Gloucestershire, 32 households have seen their homes benefit from the scheme.
Cllr Ben Stokes, Cabinet Member responsible for Adults and Housing at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “Warm and Well are in place to offer free, independent advice to those who want to improve their property’s energy efficiency while reducing their costs. This can help people make significant savings to energy bills and supports our efforts to tackle the climate and nature emergency.
“The energy crisis and Covid-19 pandemic have seen more people struggling to pay their bills so it’s important that we continue to invest in projects like this to support residents who live in the least efficient homes. The more energy efficient homes we have here in South Gloucestershire, the better the health and quality of life across the district.”
Residents reported feeling happier, healthier and warmer – with 98 per cent noting how much warmer they felt at home since the insulation was installed. The scheme has seen a fantastic reduction in carbon emissions too. As a result of the insulation, 239 tonnes of carbon will be saved every year, the equivalent of making 55 homes in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire carbon neutral.
One resident commented: “My home feels much cosier. I am looking forward to a much warmer winter. I am sure that my heating bill will be lower now. Thank you.”
You can find out more about Warm and Well, their adviceline and current grant funding opportunities at https://warmandwell.co.uk/
