Equans has met the first milestone in a project to make almost 1,500 of Your Housing Group’s homes across the North West warmer, healthier, and more affordable to heat, key pillars of the Decent Homes Standard, which requires that social homes be warm, weatherproof, and have modern facilities.

Households in Hyndburn, Burnley, Pendle, Preston, Cheshire, Liverpool City Region, the Staffordshire Moorlands and other towns in the region are benefiting from these retrofit measures which include a mixture of solar panels and loft insulation. 

Homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or below are being targeted, with efficiency measures installed to make them reach an EPC rating of at least C — the national benchmark for a warm, efficient home. Households improving their rating from D to C can expect to save up to £370 a year on heating costs and reduce carbon emissions by up to 4 tonnes annually per home, equivalent to each household driving the entire route around the UK coastline every year. Achieving an EPC rating of C or above is an important component of the Decent Homes Standard, reflecting the commitment to improving housing energy efficiency and reducing fuel poverty. This upgrade ensures that homes meet key quality and sustainability criteria, enhancing affordability and comfort for residents.

Feedback from the first residents to have the improvements made to their homes show a 97% satisfaction rating, with one resident saying “Amazing work from amazing workers. The whole team was great I am very happy.” Another resident echoed this sentiment, saying “I am very happy with the work completed. The team were absolutely fantastic.”

Richard Jones, Director of Asset and Growth at Your Housing Group, said: “This investment is an important step in our work to provide warmer, greener and more affordable homes for our residents. By working closely with Equans, and with support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, we are accelerating improvements that make a real difference to thousands of households. These upgrades will help cut energy bills and also reduce our environmental impact across the North West. We’re proud to be delivering long‑term improvements that support our communities now and in the future.”

Neil Warburton, Regional Director at Equans said “Making sure families have access to housing that is efficient and affordable to heat and power is not only vital to reducing the overall carbon footprint of a region, it has a fundamental impact on the health of those that live there. It is brilliant to see this scheme with our long-term partners Your Housing Group progress, and to hear the positive feedback from residents whose homes have been improved.”

By investing in these vital upgrades, Your Housing Group is delivering on the commitments of the Decent Homes Standard by providing warmer, greener, and more affordable housing. This milestone marks a significant step in supporting the wellbeing of local communities and climate action over the long term.