This week, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning, Julie James, visited properties benefiting from grant funding from the Optimised Retrofit Programme in Flintshire.
The Optimised RetroFit Programme (ORP) is a whole house, pragmatic, approach to decarbonising existing homes.
More bespoke than previous schemes, the ORP considers the materials homes are made from and how they heat and store energy.
By taking a ‘test and learn’ approach, the programme can be used to identify the most efficient and cost-effective ways to deliver the best outcomes for residents.
The programme is available to Registered Social Landlords and local authorities to install a variety of home decarbonisation measures in existing social housing stock.
Flintshire County Council will receive around £5.7m worth of ORP grant funding over three years and has committed to retrofitting approximately 600 properties.
The Cabinet Secretary visited homes undergoing works in the Leeswood area which were built between 1920 and 1950 and are of traditional wall construction with gas as their main heating fuel.
The Cabinet Secretary said: “I welcome the innovative progress Flintshire County Council is making towards decarbonising properties in Flintshire.
“By retrofitting existing properties with solar panels, external and cavity wall installation and LED lighting, they will help to significantly reduce energy bills for residents.
“The information we gather from the work will help us to evaluate the most cost-effective ways to heat our homes and help empower people in the future to make more informed choices.”
