Birmingham City Council tenants in 2,000 households are now living in warmer, greener homes that are cheaper to heat thanks to an energy efficency scheme.
Tenants in the upgraded homes can expect to start saving up to £600-£1200 each year on energy bills, depending on the home and improvements made. Solar panels placed on buildings can save residents as much as £4 per day in electricity.
The work will save 2,500 tonnes of carbon per year – the equivalent of driving over 1400 petrol cars for a year. You would need to plant over 41,000 trees and let them grow for ten years to offset 2,500 tonnes of carbon.
Testing at the homes shows that retrofitted properties now have an Energy Performance Certificate of at least a Band C, with some reaching a Band A rating—the most energy-efficient rating available.
The £111m retrofit scheme has been completed in partnership with sustainable regeneration specialist Equans. A grant of £24m, was secured from Wave 2.1 of the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund – which was renamed to the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund in 2024. The grant was the largest single-council allocation for the fund’s 2.1 Wave.
The work carried has included bespoke combinations of external wall insulation, new windows and doors, loft insulation, solar panels, high heat retention storage heaters and smart hot water tanks.
Brandfield House, now that the retrofit work on the building has been completed.
To give residents greater control over their energy usage, the scheme installed smart energy monitoring devices into some homes. This provides valuable data to the council highlighting how the retrofit measures perform, levels of dampness, and if tenants are experiencing fuel poverty.
Partner organisations gathered to celebrate the success of the scheme at two tower blocks, Bradfield and Greenfield House in Sheldon, that have been retrofitted as part of the scheme. There they spoke to a residents who explained how the improvements have benefitted them.
Julie Cobbett, resident of Bradfield House said:
“Before these works were done, putting the heating on wouldn’t make much difference as the heat would be lost through the windows.
“The new windows mean the heat stays in, and I have not needed to put the heating on – but when I do, I can feel the difference.
“The change that has made the biggest difference to my life has been the new kitchens and bathrooms that have been installed.”
Bradfield House, before the retrofit works had begun.
Alongside the retrofit improvements, many of the homes on the scheme have received other capital works improvements as part of the council’s record £200 million a year investment to improve existing council homes. The works were done simultaneously to minimise disruption to residents.
Leanne Fleetwood, resident of Bradfield House said:
“I have had issues with damp in my flat, but since the work has been done, it’s not come back at all.
“You used to touch the walls and they were freezing but now it’s absolutely fine. It’s been a lot better.
“The workmen at Equans have been very respectful, helpful and they helped explain everything that was going to happen.”
Councillor Nicky Brennan, cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said:
“It was great to hear from Julie and Leanne about the difference these improvements have made.
“Having greener, energy-efficient homes reduces our tenants’ energy bills, which is especially important during this cost-of-living crisis.
“It is also great to see how the work has transformed the look and feel of neighbourhoods, building a greater sense of pride among residents.
“These investments don’t just save tenants money, they also significantly contribute to the council’s net zero agenda. This scheme is a great example of how government grant funding can be used to facilitate necessary work to make homes warmer and use less carbon.
“I would also like to thank our delivery partner, Equans, who have been vital in identifying which properties were most in need of improvements and aligning this with our wider capital works programme, which is investing more than £200m a year into existing council homes. As we have an existing partnership with Equans, we have been able to deliver the scheme to schedule and minimise disruption for our residents.”
Cllr Nicky Brenan (right), speaking with two residents who have benefitted from the scheme: Leanne Fleetwood (left) and Julie Cobbett (centre).
Steve Batty, Director of Sustainability at Equans, said:
“This scheme is one of the most ambitious the UK has seen to date, providing a bold example of how a large number of existing homes can be made fit for the future in a relatively short space of time.
“The impact of the project has been truly transformational, uplifting the appearance of communities across Birmingham and helping to reduce the risk of fuel poverty for thousands of residents, whilst the carbon reductions achieved mean that people in the city have a healthier future ahead.”
