Corporate News, News

Matrix Housing Partnership, a consortium of seven social landlords, has secured funding to make 905 homes across the Midlands and South West more energy efficient.

The associations pooled resources to prepare a bid in the second round of applications for the UK Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which manages the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, has awarded the Matrix Housing Partnership more than £12million to assist with the delivery of works to enhance the energy performance of their homes.

Funded by DESNZ, members of the Matrix Housing Partnership will deliver a variety of regeneration works including cavity wall insulation, installing new windows and doors, loft insulation, and measures to improve ventilation. The works are targeted to upgrade older homes owned by the partnership so that they have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least C.

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said:  “This investment will help thousands of households to heat their homes for less, keep them warm for longer and could save hundreds on their annual energy bill. “The green energy sector is growing, and this funding will support green jobs and provide the training needed to deliver these vital upgrades to homes.”

Mark Gormley, Property Director at Trent & Dove Housing added: "We are proud to be working with members of the Matrix Housing Partnership, and delighted that BEIS has supported our bid for funding under the Social Housing Decarbonisation fund. This will enable us to deliver much welcomed upgrades to our customers’ homes by increasing their energy efficiency.”

Matrix Housing Partnership is a consortium of seven social landlords including GreenSquareAccord, Black Country Housing Group, Citizen Housing Group, Pioneer Housing and Community Group, Rooftop Housing Association, Trent & Dove Housing and Trident Housing Association.

In addition to the significant reduction in carbon emissions which will result from this project, affordable warmth for the partnership’s customers and preventing damp and mould issues are also key objectives.

As part of their Clean Growth Strategy, the UK Government are introducing measures which will make it illegal for landlords of any kind to let properties which have an EPC rating of less than C by 2035. For social landlords, this deadline is closer as under current plans they will be unable to rent homes that have an EPC rating below C to anyone deemed to be in fuel poverty by the year 2030.