14,000 get warmer homes in Sunderland

Over 14,000 homes in Sunderland have been improved to help tackle climate change and reduce fuel bills, new figures reveal.
Fuel efficient home figuresFuel efficient home figures
Fuel efficient home figures

The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme aims to reduce carbon emissions – and help people at risk of fuel poverty – by making energy firms install heat-saving measures such as insulation and more efficient boilers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy data shows 1,237 homes in the city were fitted with ECO measures in the year to June – 538 more than the previous year - bringing the number of homes in the area to have been part of the scheme to 14,030 since it launched in 2013.

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Nationally, 2.3 million homes have been revamped over the last eight years – with cavity wall insulation (30%), the installation of more efficient boilers (23%) and loft insulation (20%), being the most used measures

The Energy Saving Trust said it is looking forward to seeing the Government' s new strategy aimed at decarbonising homes.

Stew Horne, head of policy, said: “It is great to see that more home energy efficiency measures are being installed via the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

"However, we need to see an acceleration in the pace and scale of retrofitting our homes to make them more efficient."

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A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spokesman said: "We want to go further and faster, ensuring nobody goes cold in their own home and are investing £1.3bn into making homes more energy efficient, cheaper to heat and helping low-income families significantly reduce their energy bills."

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