Portsmouth pushes ahead with green housing upgrades despite funding gap
Hundreds of homes across Portsmouth are set to receive energy-saving upgrades, even in the face of a "lack" of government funding.
At a recent decision meeting, Councillor Darren Sanders, Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness, highlighted progress in making the council’s housing stock more energy-efficient and affordable to heat.
The council owns approximately 17,000 properties across Portsmouth and beyond, many of which were built during the post-war era between 1950 and 1970.
Currently, the majority of these homes have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C – regarded as a solid benchmark. However, around 3,600 properties are rated D or below, and a further 3,598 lack an EPC rating altogether.
In March last year, Portsmouth Homes secured £1.9m from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as part of a £75m grant scheme supporting 42 social housing decarbonisation projects nationwide.
This funding enabled the council to retrofit 129 homes in Paulsgrove and Leigh Park with loft and external wall insulation, as well as double-glazed windows. Works have commenced on 107 homes, with 35 already completed.
Residents have responded positively to the upgrades. One remarked that since the improvements, they’ve only needed to turn the heating on “for a short amount of time” unlike in previous years.
“I used to struggle with the road noise keeping me awake, since having new windows and insulation installed this hasn’t been an issue at all.”
Another resident reported previous issues with heating, damp, mould and draughts, but said the added insulation “has made a world of difference”.
“My home feels warmer and I have noticed an increase in air quality. I'm now less worried about the winter period and struggling to pay for my energy."
In a further round of funding, the council received £1.1m and plans to carry out more cost-effective upgrades to around 200 additional homes.
Councillor Sanders welcomed the decarbonisation efforts, saying they help future generations live in a “half decent world”.
However he was “stunned by the lack of money on offer” given the Labour government’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions.