Thousands more social housing tenants in Wales
will benefit from warmer homes and lower energy bills
as the Welsh Government announces an additional £14.1
million for energy efficiency improvements.
The funding boost brings total investment in the Optimised
Retrofit Programme (ORP) to £107.1 million this year. Since 2020,
the programme has already funded 31,000 energy efficiency
upgrades to social homes across Wales, cutting household bills
whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The ORP funds improvements including insulation, efficient
heating systems and renewable energy installations in
social housing. Social landlords working through the
programme monitor health indicators such as mould and
moisture levels, enabling them to provide targeted advice and
support to vulnerable tenants.
Cabinet Secretary said: “The Welsh Government
has set ambitious standards for new and existing social housing
to ensure homes are safe, comfortable, healthy and low
carbon.
“This additional ORP funding demonstrates our commitment to help
social landlords like Hedyn to meet these standards, whilst
tackling fuel poverty and climate change, and supporting the
creation of green jobs.”
The Cabinet Secretary was speaking at Tredegar where she visited
a retrofitted sheltered scheme run by Hedyn, to see the
programme's impact first-hand.
She met with residents benefiting from the
improvements, including John Nicholls - 94-year-old former
missionary - whose annual energy costs have fallen significantly
following his home's upgrade.
Mr Nicholls said: "I've lived in this flat for 30 years and it is
the best it has ever been. It's fantastic
now. It's warm and I can keep an eye on it all the
time.
“If I am out, I just use the app on my phone to switch the
heating on before I get home.”
The Cabinet Secretary also met Tai Hedyn Decarbonisation surveyor
Callum Davies.
Callum benefitted from the Personal Learning Account to
gain his retrofit assessor credentials and is currently in his
second year of a four-year degree at USW in Building
Surveying.
Callum said: “Thanks to Hedyn's investment in low-carbon heating
and hot water systems and the support provided by Welsh
Government's ORP funding, I have been able to progress my career
in ways I never thought possible.
“I've moved from working on the tools to becoming a
qualified retrofit assessor, which has opened up a
whole new path for me. I'm now studying for a degree
through the degree apprenticeship scheme, which is also funded by
Welsh Government and I'm developing more skills. I love
that my work helps me create greener, warmer, more efficient
homes for our residents. I'm incredibly grateful for
the opportunities the ORP programme has given me.”
