With a portfolio of almost 40,000 properties, Torus is the Northwest’s largest provider of affordable homes. Maintaining and improving these homes is a key priority for Torus, especially when it comes to improving energy efficiency and ensuring that they're fit for the future. The £3m will be invested in to install External Wall Insulation (EWI) to 201 homes across Liverpool.

EWI involves fixing a layer of insulation material to the wall, then covering it with a special type of render, it not only looks better, it reduces heat loss from the home and helps to save residents money on their fuel bills, which has never been more important right now, with many tenants are experiencing real hardship because of the pandemic.

EWI also benefits the environment, with the project saving 176 tonnes of carbon emissions each year, which supports the Liverpool City Region (LCC) goal to become a zero-carbon city region by 2040.

The projects are part of the RetroFIT for the Future project, led by Sefton Council, which has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to retrospectively install low carbon solutions to homes to ensure they are future proof.

Currently working across three sites in Liverpool, Torus will be installing EWI to 111 properties on the Quatra Estate in North Liverpool, 36 maisonettes at Beechwood Gardens in Aigburth and 54 properties Cherry Lane Flats in Anfield.

Torus Assets Project Manager, David Kelly, tells us more about the project and how it will benefit tenants;

“External Wall Insulation is a fantastic, energy efficiency measure which will help us only reduce carbon but keep rising heating bills in check.

“By investing £3 million in improving our homes, we can both improve the environment by reducing carbon emissions and protect the people who live in them from increasing high energy bills and fuel poverty, which is especially beneficial for the high proportion of social tenants who are on low incomes.

“It will also have the bonus of improving the look of the buildings and by keeping the building warm and dry, EWI protects the building's structure and improves weatherproofing.”

The EWI projects are three of five projects from Torus, which will see the group investing £3.2 million into 337 of their existing homes to help reduce their carbon emissions. Supporting the Liverpool City Region (LCC) goal to become a zero-carbon city region by 2040, the projects will also benefit tenants by improving energy efficiency, reducing fuel bills and making their homes warmer. Other projects include; underfloor insulation installed by robots and an entire innovative electric heating retrofit project to Portland Gardens independent living scheme, near to the city centre.

Established by the European Union, ERDF helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding

The three EWI project are expected to be completed by Christmas 2021. Its success and impact, along with that of the other RetroFIT projects, will be used to shape future retrofitting projects and support future adoption of innovative products into mainstream housing management programmes.

Torus have obtained European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contributions to deliver this project under an overarching project called Retrofit for the Future. Established by the European Union, ERDF helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects that will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding