Two hundred social housing properties have been made more energy efficient in the second wave of a project by St Albans City and District Council.
Among the homes to have benefited are the so-called Airey houses in Nicholas Close in Batchwood.
These were built during a post-war housing boom with prefabricated concrete and have a particularly low energy rating.
Upgrade works included external wall insulation, solar panels, loft insulation, enhancements to ventilation and LED lighting systems.
The upgrades are designed to boost the properties’ energy efficiency, reducing harmful carbon emissions and cutting tenants’ bills.
The council started on the second wave of its decarbonisation project a year ago, with around 780 homes due to be upgraded.
The project is part-financed by a government grant from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
The remaining funding comes from the council’s ringfenced housing budget, funded by rental income rather than council tax.
Work on all 780 homes is scheduled for completion by the council’s contractor, Correct Contract Services, in autumn next year.
The council will be submitting a further bid for government funding on a project, due to start in April 2025, under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 3.
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