Thirteen reports £2.4million spend on decarbonising homes as retrofit work set to accelerate

We insulated lofts in 3,394 homes last year and understand the targeted investment work needed to get all of our homes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating Band C or higher by 2030.

In our ESG Report 2023/24, we report 70.09% of our properties are rated Band C or higher, up from 65.07% in 2022/23, as we continue work to provide our customers with warmer homes and lower energy bills.

Last year saw customers in 280 homes benefit from new cavity wall insulation, while we also installed five air source heat pumps and completed 2,200 new EPC surveys, renewing a further 700.

We invested a total of £2.4million in decarbonising properties last year and have recently secured a £30million loan from NatWest to accelerate our retrofit programme.

Solar PV systems across our business properties generated 969 megawatts of electricity, preventing the emission of 20.060 tCO2e into the atmosphere, and we installed a large new PV array on our offices at Hudson Quay in Middlesbrough.

At our recycling centre, more than 100 tonnes of furniture items were reclaimed and upcycled to provide ‘furniture packs’ to over 230 customers and their families, achieving an associated social value of nearly £1.5million and savings of up to £30,000 in waste disposal costs.

We also helped 547 people into employment or training last year, provided 262 refugees with resettlement support, and made £1.2million of Hardship Fund and discretionary housing support payments to vulnerable customers.

We recorded an overall customer satisfaction score of 77.3% and a satisfaction score of 79.6% from customers who have received a repair in the last year.

Our chief executive, Matt Forrest, said: “Our ESG report sets out how we’re making a positive difference across a range of activities, including our work to reach net zero, invest in social value, support our customers, and ensure the customer voice is at the heart of all we do.

“It covers a period during which we invested record sums in new and existing properties and delivered a record number of new homes. And since then, we’ve had further endorsement of our proven track record of investment in our homes and our clear commitment to achieving net zero in the shape of a £30million green loan.

“Our retrofit programme is decarbonising our stock, leading to warmer homes and lower energy bills for customers. But we’re far from complacent. We know there’s lots more to do and we are focussed on delivering on the foundations of our business strategy – happy customers, fantastic homes, and brilliant people.”

Read the full Environmental, Social and Governance Report 2023/24.