Hundreds of families are to receive energy-saving upgrades in their homes as part of a county-wide decarbonisation drive that has received national praise.
More than 1,000 social and privately-owned homes affected by problems such as poor quality insulation and ineffective heating have been upgraded since North Yorkshire Council was formed in April 2023.
Many of the properties that have received upgrades are in rural areas where homes are often older and have poor insulation – including in villages around Harrogate, Malton and Northallerton.
Looking to maintain the momentum, the council has now received £28 million and pledged a further £19 million from its own reserves to upgrade more than 1,900 homes across the county, as part of the Government’s Warm Homes Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes Local Grant.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “We are proud to have upgraded more than 1,000 homes with energy-efficient measures since local government reorganisation – but this is just the start.
“Some of our most vulnerable residents still live in the worst-insulated and most expensive-to-heat homes in the entire county.
“It’s crucial that we continue to upgrade our social and privately-owned properties, helping to reduce the amount of energy which residents use which would therefore lead to them paying less money on their heating, as well as protecting the environment.
“Whether it’s fitting air source heat pumps or solar panels, bolstering insulation or introducing other low carbon technology, these upgrades are straightforward to do and can make a significant difference to the lives of our communities.”
North Yorkshire’s retrofit rollout has received widespread praise from residents and sustainability experts, who have urged other households to take advantage of the fresh funding and apply for their homes to be considered.
Homeowner Pat Bellwood previously used an old oil boiler to heat her privately-owned house in Rillington, near Malton, and discovered the Home Upgrade Grant scheme when seeking help with her energy bills in November last year.
After learning she was eligible, within weeks her house was fitted with eight solar panels as well as an air source heat pump.
Pat said: “I was amazed at how quickly it was all done. Everything was completed within a couple of days, and I can already tell a huge difference.
“It’s a lot cleaner and more efficient, my house no longer smells of oil and while it’s a bit too early to tell financially how much it’s helping, I’m saving money on the oil.”
Osmotherley resident Marian Wilsdon has also benefited, receiving a ground mounted solar panel system in April this year. With her home being in a conservation area and no suitable roof space, she applied for solar panels to be installed in her garden.
She said: “My garden is quite unusually laid out, so it was a logistical challenge and needed some imagination, but I’m delighted with the outcome. It has surpassed all expectations and instead of the solar panels being an eyesore, they add to my garden.
“I’m now using cleaner energy and couldn’t be happier. My friend recently had solar panels put on her roof and I keep telling anyone who’ll listen to consider applying for the grant.”
The upgrades have also been completed in social housing across the county, including the home of tenant Barbara Rickards, who lives in a small village near Harrogate. She recently received a range of eco-friendly upgrades including an energy-efficient heating system.
“I’ve noticed a huge difference,” she said. “I now have heating and hot water all the time, and I don’t have to struggle with coal or cleaning the fire out.
“The whole experience has made my life a lot easier with more space less cleaning and saving money – which makes me happy.”
Experts from Salix Finance, the Government-owned body responsible for overseeing a number of national retrofit schemes on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, visited North Yorkshire earlier this year to learn more about the council’s successful delivery.
During the visit, they met senior officers and councillors along with representatives from Align Property Partners, the council-owned property consultancy whose team of architects, engineers and sustainability team are helping to roll out the upgrades across the county.
The director of housing at Salix, Paul Hill said: “During our visit, the teams at North Yorkshire Council and Align demonstrated both professionalism and passion for the work they are doing in the retrofit space.
“It is clear they’re committed to improving residents’ homes, reducing risks of fuel poverty through lower energy bills and paving the way towards net zero.
“The additional funding awarded to the council builds upon successes seen in previous waves. It allows continued progression toward both net zero targets and warmer, more sustainable and cheaper to heat homes for residents.
“I look forward to seeing how the council and Align continue momentum towards these targets and improve lives for more residents over the coming years.”
The managing director of Align, Ron Walton, said: “Our collaborative work with the council has already been praised on a national level and this fresh funding will help us to continue delivering energy-saving upgrades to families who need it most.
“The upgrades are easy to do and make such a difference to people’s lives, allowing residents to save substantial amounts of energy and reduce their bills as a result.”
