Updated: 11 December 2024
In March 2023, we were awarded over £6million from the Liverpool City Region’s, Combined Authority successful bid to the Government’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DoESNZ), Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, latterly rebranded, Warm Homes Fund: Social Housing. Torus further bolstered this application by committing a further £15 million of funding to total £22 million investment into ensuring Torus Homes benefit from Home Energy Improvements, making homes more thermally efficient and sustainable.
The investment has seen nearly 700 Torus homes, benefit from a range of retrofit ‘home energy improvements’ in addition to other works and decoration, to further enhance our homes.
By investing in our homes we will help reduce energy usage and improve the overall Energy Performance (EPC) ratings to a minimum of EPC Band C, a move that will reduce heat loss and ensure homes are warmer in the winter and cooler in the Summer as we adapt to the impact of Climate Change.
The Home Energy Improvements help our environment and planet by reducing carbon emissions produced by homes that would benefit from insulation to prevent heat loss, supporting Torus’s own Net Zero ambitions and work to help the Liverpool City Region and Local Authorities achieve Net Zero between 2040 and 2050, respectively.
The home energy improvements or ‘retrofit works’ being provided include solid wall or cavity wall insulation, new roofs or roof or loft insulation, new windows, doors and the introduction of renewable technology such as low carbon heating systems or solar photovoltaics.
The first 700 homes to benefit from Home Energy Improvements will be completed by March 2025. Schemes include Haydock Central Drive and Grosvenor, Haresfinch and Windlehurst in St Helens. Culcheth and Kingsway House, Latchford, in Warrington and Cathedral Walk, Brunswick Road flats, Kirk Street flats and over 100 homes in the Walton and Anfield areas in Liverpool.
Torus are pleased to confirm that we have also submitted a further funding application to Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for Warm Homes Fund: Social Housing Wave 3, which, if successful, could see a further 2,000 homes receive home energy improvements between 2025 and 2028. The Governments Department of Energy Security and Net Ze are expected to announce if we have been successful with the funding application, early in 2025.
The schemes
If Torus identify that your home may be eligible for Home Energy Improvements, we will contact you directly, to arrange for further assessment to identify what Home Energy Improvements you may be eligible for. The Torus Home Energy Accelerator Team (HEAT) will be your first point of contact throughout the retrofit process and comprehensive advice and support will be made available, throughout the whole process. Torus offers ‘stock condition surveys’ to all customers, every 5 years, these surveys are important to enable us to assess the condition of your home, as part of this survey, we will also assess your homes ‘energy performance’ which enables us to identify where home energy improvements may be needed. You can visit the Government website https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate to access your homes latest and historical Energy Performance Certificates, for free.
|
Scheme |
No. of Homes |
Expected Start Date* |
Proposed works** |
|
Kingsway House (nine-story, 51-apartment building), Warrington |
51 |
Completed |
Kingsway House is undergoing an ambitious £5+ million refurbishment, with retrofit works including new windows, doors, improved insulation, ventilation and external walls finished with non-combustible render, which will improve energy efficiency of the building and the thermal comfort of the apartments. The scheme also includes the installation of a communal air source heat pump which has the added benefit of removing the gas supply from the tower block which potentially improves safety. |
| Brunswick Street, Everton, L6 | 6 | Completed |
Cavity Wall Insulation, External Wall Insulation, New Windows, Ventilation, New Roof , Solar PV system, Smart monitoring devices |
|
Kirk Street, Everton, Liverpool L5 |
42 |
Completed |
Solar Photovoltaics (Solar PV), External Wall Insulation, Windows, External doors, Roofing, Ventilation, Internal and External communal decoration, Communal TV system upgrade |
|
Haydock Grosvenor, St Helens |
59 |
Completed |
Cavity Wall Insulation, Loft insulation, Windows, External doors, Ventilation, Wall tie replacement (where required), External decoration |
|
Haresfinch, St Helens |
96 |
Completed |
Cavity Wall Insulation, Loft insulation, Windows, External doors, Ventilation, Wall tie replacement (where required), External decoration |
|
North Liverpool (Old Swan to Walton) |
132 |
On site |
To benefit from a range of home energy improvements (tbc). |
|
Ellerbrook House, Ormskirk |
41 |
Completed |
Doors, Loft insulation, Cavity Wall Insulation, Ventilation, External decoration |
|
Windlehurst, St Helens |
94 |
On site |
Cavity Wall Insulation, Loft insulation, Windows, External doors, Ventilation, Wall tie replacement (where required), External decoration |
|
Haydock (Central), St Helens |
85 |
On site |
Cavity wall insulation, Loft insulation, Windows, Doors, Ventilation, External decoration, Insulation to roof over bay windows (non-traditional construction only) |
|
Culcheth (Flat Roof), Warrington |
64 |
On site |
Cavity Wall Insulation, Windows, Doors, Loft insulation, Ventilation, External decoration, Main roof renewal (flat roof) |
|
Cathedral Walk, Liverpool |
24 |
On site |
Cavity Wall Insulation, External Wall Insulation Windows, Doors, Roof, Solar PV, Ventilation, External and Internal communal decoration |
|
Newman Street, Liverpool |
1 |
On site |
Whole house retrofit. |
*Estimated start dates and are subject to change
**Works on individual homes are finalised following a full survey
Supporting tenants to improve energy efficiency in their homes
In addition to the home energy improvements, we will also be helping customers with a wider package of support which will include education about how to maximise the benefits of the home energy improvements. We recognise that undertaking retrofit work can be disruptive and daunting for some customers. Our dedicated Home Energy Accelerator Team are on hand to provide bespoke support or our customers, ranging from information guides to videos that help to explain how home energy improvement works operate, roadshows, open houses and events to ensure that our customers are fully consulted and included throughout every step of the retrofit process. Where tailored support has been identified as required, our dedicated retrofit advisors will create Home Energy Action Plans, assessing the individual household’s needs and lifestyle to ensure all household members needs are met and help customers to maximise the benefits of home energy improvement works.
Energy advice from Torus Foundation
Torus Foundation have qualified energy advisors who are on hand to support with fuel debt, billing errors, meter readings if you have difficulty doing this yourself, applying for grants to help reduce your energy debts, switching energy providers (if it’s the right thing to do), applying for seasonal payments, paying your water bills and budgeting advice.
Customer resources
Customers on SHDF retrofit schemes can contact the Home Energy Accelerator Team (HEAT) at HEAT@Torus.co.uk