We’re delighted to have secured more than £1.7m to upgrade the energy efficiency of council housing to provide warmer homes and lower bills for tenants.

Our Cabinet will be asked to formally accept the funding Wave 2.1 of the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation scheme when they meet on Wednesday 28 June. It follows another successful bid and will fund the upgrade of 148 more council properties after funding for 150 properties was secured under phase one.

Works will vary depending on the property but may include additional insulation to lofts, cavity walls and underfloor, and in some cases external wall insulation.

The works will be completed alongside the retrofit pilot programme which is currently being delivered by Berneslai Homes, as well as another project through Energise Barnsley to install solar panels onto the roofs of 1,000 council houses.

More efficient homes will reduce the borough’s carbon emissions and benefit tenants through reduced energy bills and increased comfort in cold weather.

We’re working with Berneslai Homes, which manages council properties on our behalf. The funding will be targeted at properties that are least energy-efficient.

Cllr Robert Frost, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: “Energy costs are really high at the moment, so we’re thrilled to be able to make this investment to make homes as energy-efficient as possible and help our tenants use less energy.

“We’re working to make sure our borough has a variety of housing, so you can live in the right home for you, and that’s why we continually invest in our council housing. We’re making sure we provide well-maintained safe and warm homes for our tenants now and in the future.

“This latest investment will support our work towards tackling the climate emergency and bringing our carbon emissions as a council to net-zero by 2040.