Issue - meetings

Sustainable Warmth Funding

Meeting: 09/11/2022 - Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee (Item 21)

21 Sustainable Warmth Funding pdf icon PDF 131 KB

A report setting out the approach the Council is taking to work with partners to use the Sustainable Warmth for the installation of energy saving measures in low income homes in the Reading area.

Minutes:

Further to Minute 33 of the meeting held on 10 March 2022, the Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report setting out the Council’s approach to working with partners to use Sustainable Warmth funding for the installation of energy saving measures in low-income homes in the Reading area.

The report explained that the Sustainable Warmth competition had been launched in June 2021 to bring together two fuel poverty schemes, Local Authority Delivery Phase 3 (LAD 3) and Home Upgrade Grant Phase 1 (HUG) into a single funding opportunity for Local Authorities (LAs). Reading Borough Council had applied for Sustainable Warmth funding as part of a consortium bid to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The consortium was made up of over 66 Local Authorities generally located in South East England.  The consortium had been successful in their bid and was awarded approximately £84m for LAD 3 funding and £34m for HUG funding.  Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) had been designated the Lead Authority for the bid and, as the Accountable Body for the delivery of Sustainable Warmth implementation measures, would provide grant funding, project management and support to Reading residents.

The report added that, as a result, low-income households in Reading living within the private sector would be able to access up to £1.7m (LAD £1.16m and HUG £0.54m), to tackle fuel poverty by improving the energy efficiency of their homes and set out the BEIS eligibility requirements for this funding.  CPCA had engaged Greater South East Net Zero Hub (GSENZH) to manage the scheme, and they had assigned City Energy as the provider to carry out the retrofit works for Reading.  The report also explained that the Council would be working with landlords as they would be responsible for a contribution towards the cost of the upgrade work on their properties and officers had already started a programme of engagement with them.

Resolved -    That the approach the Council was taking to work with partners to utilise the Sustainable Warmth funding of £1.7mprovided by BEIS through the Greater South East Net Zero Hub (GSENHZ) for the installation of energy saving measures in low income homes in the Reading area be endorsed.