Purpose

The named company has been chosen as the
preferred supplier for the work via a whole house retrofit tender
exercise run through the Midlands Net Zero Hub (MNZH) Dynamic
Purchasing System (DPS) in conjunction with Commercial Services and
Sustainability & Climate Change officers.

The project, to install selected retrofit measures including Air
Source Heat Pumps (ASHP), Solid Wall Insulation (SWI) and insulated
doors and windows across fuel poor homes in Herefordshire uses Home
Upgrade Grant (HUG) Phase 2 funding from the Department for Energy
Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) via MNZH.

352 household installations to be completed across Herefordshire by
the end of March 2025.

Fuel poverty remains a significant issue in Herefordshire, with an
estimated 14,145 (16.7%) of households in fuel poverty across the
county.

Fuel poverty levels in the county are a result of a combination of
low incomes, above average numbers of older, ‘hard to
treat’ properties and poor coverage of the mains gas network,
due to rurality.

Many homes in the county therefore rely on expensive heating fuel
systems and as a result have poor energy efficiency ratings and
high relative greenhouse gas emissions. There are an estimated
60,000 properties Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rated D to G
(Building Research Establishment 2019) in Herefordshire.

The Home Upgrade Grant scheme aims to raise the energy efficiency
of low-income and low EPC rated homes including those living in the
worst quality off-gas grid homes, delivering progress towards:
reducing fuel poverty, the phasing out of high carbon fossil fuel
heating and the national and local commitments to net zero. The
fund also aims to support the green recovery in response to the
economic impacts of Covid-19 and to help take low-income families
out of fuel poverty.