PA Housing appoints contractor to deliver £11m decarbonisation works

This scheme will see more efficient external, internal wall and loft insulation added to the homes.

It is estimated that residents could see a reduction in their energy bills of up to £800 each year as a result of these upgrades, with Energy Performance Certificates set to increase to a Band C rating, up from a current rating of D or E.

This work has been made possible due to a £1.3m injection from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).

In December, the government allocated an extra £1.25bn to the SHDF, along with an extra £1.5bn for its heat pump upgrade scheme.

Donna Brace, director of asset management at PA Housing, said: “Providing our residents with a safe, secure and warm property that they’re proud to call their home is central to what we do at PA.

“We’re excited to be working alongside Equans to deliver these important upgrades that will greatly improve the quality and energy efficiency of our residents’ homes for years to come.”

Martin Ardron, operations director at Equans UK and Ireland, said: “With the UK’s housing stock generating such a high proportion of the country’s carbon emissions, it’s vitally important that we work together as a sector to achieve our net zero ambitions.

“As well as helping the environment, projects like this can also have huge benefits for residents – enabling them to live in warmer, more comfortable homes that they can heat sufficiently. I’m sure the residents of the properties being improved through this refurbishment programme will notice a huge difference, particularly during the colder months.”

At the end of last year, housing and public building staff across Manchester won an 8% annual pay rise from Equans after discussions lasting several months, which ended the threat of strike action from union members.