Retrofitting our homes – What’s it all about?

Back in 2019 we said we wanted to be carbon neutral by 2030. Being carbon neutral means that over the coming
years we are going to do everything we can to significantly reduce the carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere.

As a large business our emissions come from lots of sources, our offices, our fleet of vehicles and of course your homes, of which we have over 9,000. Lots of our homes were built 50-60 years ago, so we know there is work to be done to make them more energy efficient and to reduce their carbon emissions.

Along with 26 other housing associations and partners we joined the Optimised Retrofit Programme and will work on 100 of our homes to trial new energy saving measures.

The programme includes installing more efficient technology to help us power your home in a more environmentally friendly way. This could be things like solar panels, heating upgrades or better insulation.

More energy efficient homes reduce carbon, have lower energy usage and higher comfort within homes.

Jayne from Pontardawe has been part of the trial and tells us why she got involved:
“We all have to do our bit for the planet. As part of this I have had a smart meter which really makes you more aware of what energy you are using and how much it is costing.

Me and my daughter end up going around the house to see what we can switch off, she even does it when she goes over her friend’s house now.

“The new monitoring system has just been installed so it’s early days but I’m looking forward to seeing what it finds and what measures I can take to reduce the amount of energy I use.

“I’m proud to be part of the project, if everyone did a little bit, well that turns into a big bit doesn’t it, which can only be good for the planet.”