Environment, News

Council backs £5.5m fuel poverty project for Ashfield, Gedling and Broxtowe

By Latifa Yedroudj, Junior Local Democracy Reporter

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Nottinghamshire County Council will deliver a £5.5 million project to reduce fuel poverty and support homes to become more energy efficient.

The Government awarded the Conservative-run authority the Warm Homes Local Grant in March.

The council’s cabinet member for Economic Development and Asset Management, Cllr Keith Girling, has signed off on plans to deliver the grant following a report.

The decision was made on Thursday, April 10.

The grant will now be used to help make homes more energy-efficient, with a council report saying it will focus on low-income households.

This includes installing better insulation and efficient heating in homes so residents use less gas and electricity – which reduces their monthly bills.

Works to properties can also include the installation of solar panels, batteries, and low carbon heating, reports say.

The works will first be carried out across households in Ashfield, Broxtowe and Gedling. Homes with the “worst energy performance will continue to be targeted first”, the documents say.

Each district and borough will receive a portion of the grant aimed at improving the energy efficiency of homes.

A total of £1,319,198.68 will be allocated to upgrading homes in Ashfield, £2,784,238.41 for Broxtowe and £901,562.91 for Gedling, with an extra £500,500 also set aside for the three districts combined for administration.

The anticipated spending of the project is estimated at a total of £5.505 million delivered over a three-year period between 2025 to 2028.

Documents read: “Those homes with the worst energy performance will continue to be targeted first.

“Three councils have indicated that they require the county council to be their delivery lead for the Warm Homes Local Grant.”

The Warm Homes Local Grant programme is part of the government’s plan to upgrade five million homes over the next five years.

More than 53,000 households (14.2 per cent) in Nottinghamshire are living in fuel poverty, according to a report published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Fuel-poor households are defined as those living in a property with an energy efficiency rating of Band D, E, F or G with its disposable income below the poverty line.