£97m for energy efficiency across social housing

Homes to get heat pumps, solar panels and better insulation

- JOSEPH TIMAN

THOUSANDS of homes across Greater Manchester are set to save money on their bills thanks to a £97m package to make social housing more energy efficient.

Improved insulation, air source heat pumps, solar panels, draught-proofing, ventilation and heating controls will be installed as part of the plans.

It comes as the city region is granted £37m from the second round of the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. A further £60m will be spent by local councils and housing associations towards the retrofit work.

Overall, 5,482 homes are set to benefit with the average annual energy bill coming down by £276.78 per household. The work, which should be finished by September 2025, is expected to save 26,895,921 kWh of energy per year.