Low-income households in Slough will benefit from energy efficiency improvements as part of £1.5million Government grant.
The ‘Warm Homes Local Grant Programme’ aims to reduce bills for families and help vulnerable individuals in the cost-of-living crisis.
Discussing the grant at a Slough Borough Council cabinet meeting last night (Monday), Cllr Robert Stedmond, cabinet member for housing, temporary accommodation and estate renewal, said: “The target households will be low-income and fuel-poor households. We will also actively seek out residents at risk of respiratory disease.
“The fund will basically be used for wall insulations and also low-carbon clean heat technologies, for example solar power.”
The programme aims to make improvements to the heating, ventilation and energy efficiency of homes that fall under the ECP (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of D to G – the lowest rating for energy efficiency.
Between 50 to 100 homes are due to be retrofitted as part of the scheme, but 957 households have already been identified as needing upgrades.
Image: LDRS
Of these 957 properties, 723 have a ECP rating of D and 210 fall under the E ECP rating.
Each home will receive up to £15,000 for energy upgrades, including insulation, double glazing and smart measures.
Properties are also due to receive a maximum of £15,000 for low carbon heating improvements, including heat pumps and high retention storage heaters.
Cllr Ishrat Shah, cabinet member for public health, wellbeing and equalities, said: “It’s simple but significant: to improve health outcomes, reduce carbon emissions and to support our most vulnerable residents through the ongoing cost of living crisis.”
She added the scheme should ‘ensure all households can afford to stay warm and safe in their homes’.
A report on the plans described the quality of homes in Slough is ‘poor’, with many properties built before 1945.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has said further funding could be made available if Slough Borough Council successfully delivers the scheme.
Two additional roles are needed to deliver the scheme, specifically a project manager and a project officer – estimated to reach a cost of £200,000.
Both positions will be funded by the council’s public health budget over three years as a top-up investment to the £1.5 million grant.
Only 20 per cent of the funds will be given as an upfront payment to the council at the start of each financial year the scheme is due to be carried out.
The grant will be split between capital spending (85 per cent) and revenue spending (15 per cent).
The government published the national ‘Warm Homes Plan’ in March this year, setting out a plan to improve the efficiency of up to 170,000 homes in England.
Slough Borough Council was one of the local authorities that received funding for the scheme.
The work for retrofitting the homes is due to start in February 2026 and is due to be completed in February 2028.
