Hundreds of social housing in the Liverpool City Region could get solar panels and battery storage under a proposed £5.5m scheme.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will consider the plans on 25 September and if they’re approved, housing associations and other registered providers will be able to install solar panels and battery storage in social homes until August 2027.
Over 40 providers have already expressed an interest in the scheme, which is part of almost £30m of work to improve energy efficiency in homes and help people facing fuel poverty.
Steve Rotherham, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: ‘At a time when local residents are rightly concerned about the cost of living, we want to help take some of the pressure off household bills.
‘Through this pilot, we’ll open up the benefits of solar power to households who may previously have thought it was out of reach – helping families cut their energy costs while supporting out journey to net zero by 2030.’
‘Alongside this pilot, we’re continuing to invest millions of pounds in improving social housing and helping families to make their homes more energy efficient,’ Rotherham added.
Other measures include £13.9m from the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund for work until March 2029.
A further £4.411m has been awarded to providers in the region’s consortium which manage homes outside the city.
There is also a proposed £5m solar pilot for owner-occupiers experiencing fuel poverty, subject to approval by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
An application for another £4.5m through the Warm Homes Local Grant is also being considered.
The authority is encouraging more housing associations to join its retrofit consortium. A study of the first 5,000 homes upgraded through the work found warmer homes were linked to fewer GP appointments and hospital admissions, which could save the NHS around £500k a year.
Image: Lara John/UnSplash
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