North West growth and regeneration group, Torus, is investing £3.2 million into helping 337 of their existing homes in Liverpool become more environmentally friendly. This investment will not only help reduce carbon emissions, helping the Liverpool City Region (LCC) to by a be a zero-carbon city region by 2040, it will also benefit tenants by improving energy efficiency, reducing fuel bills and making their homes warmer.

As the region's largest provider of affordable homes, we know that many tenants are experiencing real hardship because of the pandemic. Maximising income by reducing fuel poverty is a priority for Torus and we're actively looking at a range of ways to help.

The RetroFIT for the Future project, led by Sefton Council, has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to retrospectively install low carbon solutions to homes to ensure they are future proof. The project has ambitious aims, hoping to achieve an 80% reduction in the in-use CO2 emissions of each property.

Torus is involved in five retrofit projects as part of RetroFIT for the Future which will see underfloor insulation installed by robots to suitable properties across Liverpool, External Wall Insulation (EWI) and windows installed in three sites in North Liverpool and an entire innovative electric heating retrofit project to Portland Gardens independent living scheme, near to the city centre.

Torus Group Head of Assets & Compliance, Carl Talbot-Davies, said:

“Social housing needs to be energy efficient and fit for the future. This investment of £3.2 million will not only help our tenants, but also the environment at large.

“The RetroFIT for the Future project is just one part of our on-going commitment to invest in our existing homes. Projects like these will ensure that our residents will benefit from living in warmer, more energy efficient homes.

“By reducing energy consumption, we can protect the people who live in them from high energy bills and hopefully help reduce fuel poverty, which is especially beneficial for the high proportion of social tenants who are on low incomes.”

Thanks to the RetroFIT for the Future project, a total of 500 properties across the LCR will benefit from improved energy consumption classification, with Magenta Living and One Vision Housing delivering their own schemes. The project will result in a reduction in CO2 and Green House Gas emissions and contributing to regional, national and international climate change targets.

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 projects are all expected to be completed by Summer 2021. Their success and impact will be used to inform future retrofitting projects and to 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