Launch of new scheme brings reduced fuel bills to Leeds residents

Leeds residents are among 12,000 households across Yorkshire set to save money on their fuel bills, as a new campaign to make the region’s homes more energy efficient gets underway.



As part of the Better Homes Leeds scheme, residents will be able to take advantage of heavily discounted improvement work to their homes, such as insulation and boiler replacements.



Better Homes Leeds is open to residents who own or privately rent their home, it is managed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and utilises funding from the Government’s Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) schemes.



Better Homes Leeds forms part of the wider Better Homes Yorkshire scheme, which will see Keepmoat and Willmott Dixon Energy Services carry out energy improvement work to homes over the next eight years, in partnership with nine local authorities (Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, Calderdale, Barnsley, York, Craven, Harrogate and Selby) and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).



To celebrate the launch of Better Homes Leeds, Leeds City Council’s director for environment and housing Neil Evans will be joining Jean Copley at her Cross Green home which benefited from external wall insulation.



***Media invitation***

Media are invited to chat to Jean about the work carried out to her home and the difference it has made, Neil Evans and representatives from Keepmoat and Willmott Dixon Energy Services at 1pm on Wednesday 25 March.

Contact Amanda Burns on 0113 395 1577 for the address if you’d like to attend.

***Media invitation***



Councillor Mark Dobson, Leeds City Council’s executive member for cleaner, safer and stronger communities, said:



“We’ve got a great track record in helping people heat their homes for less in Leeds; we’ve made nearly 12,000 improvements to homes already, insulating walls and lofts and upgrading and repairing heating systems.



“With Better Homes Leeds we can continue this success as we want homes to be not just better, but their best.”



In Leeds, over 285 vouchers will be available to help people insulate attic rooms in a part of Beeston, and we will be insulating 120 council houses and up to 40 privately owned homes in Wortley.



In the first three years alone, the overall programme aims to deliver energy efficiency measures to over 12,000 homes, create jobs and apprenticeships for local people. As a result, the programme will bring at least £20m of investment into the Leeds City Region and increase GVA growth.



At the launch of the scheme, Leader of Bradford Council and Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Investment Committee, Councillor David Green said:



“This new programme is another great example of the public and private sector working together to deliver further growth for the Leeds City Region and by making it easier for residents to implement these measures in their homes, reflects the LEP, West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s and local authorities shared determination to make a real positive difference for local people.



“Reducing fuel poverty and improving health and wellbeing is vital and I am delighted that homes in Bradford, along with other areas in the City Region, will benefit from this scheme.”



Mark Pheasey, Framework Director Better Homes Yorkshire said:



“We are delighted to be launching the Better Homes Yorkshire programme. The scheme will help residents heat their home for less and create greener, healthier communities across the region. This eight year programme will also bring job, apprenticeship and training opportunities for local people.”



For more information, and to register for the scheme, visit www.betterhomesyorkshire.co.uk.



ENDS



Notes to editors



Keepmoat

Keepmoat is a £1 billion company with over 80 years’ experience in community regeneration and housebuilding. Keepmoat has a strong and extensive track record in social housing solutions, and the financial stability and capability to deliver on a national scale.



Keepmoat has 22 regional offices and employs over 3,000 people across the UK.



Keepmoat’s specific areas of expertise includes: community regeneration, new build homes, responsive maintenance, retirement solutions and sustainability.



For further information, please contact: Rachel Bettison (Rachel.bettison@keepmoat.com) or Beth Catchpole (beth.catchpole@keepmoat.com)





Willmott Dixon

Willmott Dixon Group is a privately-owned contracting, residential developer and property support company that won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development in 2014.



As a contractor, we work with government, local authority and private sector clients, delivering capital projects in education, justice, retail, health and social housing. We also deliver interior design and fit-out services, plus sustainability consultancy to meet the low carbon challenges we all face.



As a developer, we develop high quality residential units for sale through our company Prime Place, often as part of mixed-use projects and, through be:here, we are involved in developing and managing residential accommodation for the private rental sector.



As a property maintainer, we deliver a range of planned, preventative and responsive care to property, which includes maintaining over 180,000 homes across the UK and providing a fast efficient service to a number of commercial brands.



We are also an official Green Deal and ECO provider with an in-house expertise to improve energy efficiency for residents and corporate property owners alike.



For more information please contact, Andrew Geldard

Andrew.Geldard@willmottdixon.co.uk or Gemma.Edwards@willmottdixon.co.uk





West Yorkshire Combined Authority

West Yorkshire Combined Authority brings together the region’s local authorities in one organisation focused on economic growth and job creation, training and skills opportunities, new, affordable housing and an improved transport network for West Yorkshire and the Leeds City Region.



Its membership is Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield & York Councils and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).



The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is working with the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership to deliver the Better Homes programme across the Leeds City Region this includes Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby and York Councils.