Couple slash fuel bill by £1,000 thanks to retrofitting
A Birmingham couple have told how they have slashed their household fuel bills by more than £1,000 a year by transforming their modest suburban semi into a retrofitted 'super home '.
Harriet and Chris Martin spoke of their labour of love in dramatically cutting their home 's carbon footprint and energy consumption at an environment-focussed event organised by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
The Greener Together Forum heard how the couple had, over a number of years, carried out an extensive insulation programme on their 1930s-built home in Bournville and installed other low carbon technology such as solar PV panels and energy saving lighting.
They estimate the work is now saving them around £1,000 a year in fuel bills and has reduced their gas usage by 65 per cent and electricity by 70 per cent.
The Forum also heard how the WMCA and other partners were now following the example of Harriet and Chris by putting in place a number of initiatives that will see similar retrofitting measures installed in hundreds more homes across the region in the months ahead.
Harriet Martin said: “We were initially motivated to make these changes to our home for climate change and it is encouraging to see the WMCA making similar steps for the right reasons. This will do wonders to fight the climate emergency as well as in turn, assist those with the current soaring energy costs.
“We're proof that making the effort to add these modifications to a home will result in huge benefits in creating a house that is relatively easy to keep cool in the summer and warmer in the winter months.
“The way we like to imagine it is that a home is like a sieve leaking energy and retrofitting allows for a cost-effective way to ensure that energy does not escape meaning you 're less likely to need to reach for the thermostat. ”
The Forum coincided with the launch of two major retrofit schemes in the West Midlands. The first saw community engagement starting in Elmdon and Foleshill as part of the £3m Sustainable Warmth Competition awarded earlier this year, while a major consortium has commenced retrofit specification work for social housing across the region.
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “Harriet and Chris are a wonderful example of the benefits, especially at a time when energy prices are soaring, that can be achieved by adopting more sustainable energy sourcing methods at home. We 've got a lot to learn from their experiences and their commitment.
“That 's why we are determined to tackle the region 's climate emergency and retrofitting people 's homes is a key part of our plans to do just that. Our domestic buildings are some of the biggest energy users in the region. During this energy and cost of living crisis, therefore, it 's absolutely right that we help families cut their energy bills and avoid them falling into fuel poverty.
“Specifying the right solutions and building community support under these schemes is absolutely right, and I look forward to the installations getting underway in the Autumn. ”
The Forum heard how the WMCA 's Energy Capital team, as part of a consortium including including the likes of Sandwell Council and Solihull Community Housing successfully secured £7.5m from the government 's Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
This will be used to retrofit 600 social homes across the region, including the installation of low carbon heating systems and solar panels.
The work is aimed at not only providing warmer homes for tenants, as well as helping them tackle fuel poverty amid soaring energy costs, but also support the region 's fight against climate change and its ambition to achieve net zero by 2041.
The SMART Hub (Sustainable Market for Affordable Retrofit Technologies) has been set up by the WMCA as part of its investment to deliver its net zero targets.
The team has already led the region in attracting more than £10m of funding for retrofit projects and has supported partners in additional bids of more than £14m.
For more information about how the WMCA is tackling climate change, visit https://www.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/environment-and-energy.
Pictured (l-r): Birmingham couple, Harriet and Chris Martin