- As part of the procurement process, two contractors are procured to minimise the risk of delays to the scheme associated with contractor capacity.
- The named companies have been chosen as the preferred suppliers for the works via a whole house retrofit tender exercise run through the Midlands Net Zero Hub (MNZH) Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) in conjunction with Commercial Services and Sustainability & Climate Change officers.
- The project, to install selected retrofit measures including Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP), Solid Wall Insulation (SWI) and insulated doors and windows across fuel poor homes in Herefordshire uses Home Upgrade Grant 2 funding from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) via MNZH.
- 306 household installations are targeted across Herefordshire in principle by the end of March 2025.
- Fuel poverty remains a significant issue in Herefordshire, with an estimated 14,145 (16.7%) of households in fuel poverty across the county.
- Fuel poverty levels in the county are a result of a combination of low incomes, above average numbers of older, ‘hard to treat’ properties and poor coverage of the mains gas network, due to rurality.
- Many homes in the county therefore rely on expensive heating fuel systems and as a result have poor energy efficiency ratings and high relative greenhouse gas emissions. There are an estimated 60,000 properties Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rated D to G (Building Research Establishment 2019) in Herefordshire.