DECC Pays Visit to Wetherby Project

Representatives from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), along with local MPs, local councils and energy companies have visited a site in Gosport, Hampshire to find out how ECO and Green Deal Communities funding has benefitted the local communities.

The £145m Rowner Renewal Project is a major regeneration scheme to replace and refurbish substandard housing with more than 600 new energy efficient homes, as well as constructing retail and commercial units to improve the community of Rowner in Hampshire.

DECC recently visited the third phase of the project, which has seen 14 blocks of flats fitted with external wall insulation (EWI) from Wetherby, delivering warmer homes and reducing heating bills for 235 individual properties.

With no gas grid in the area, all homes are solely fed by electricity and with up to 40% of their heat being lost through the walls, some residents were paying up to £2,500 in electricity bills. The application of Wetherby’s EWI system incorporating 90mm EpsiTherm insulation by Wall Coatings Ltd, has helped residents see their annual fuel bills halved, while the fresh white silicone render finish has also transformed the exterior appearance of the properties to create an attractive street scene.

The work has made a real difference to this community and was made possible by, the now abolished, Energy Company Obligation Scheme, as well as a contribution from Gosport Borough Council’s Green Deal Communities fund.

Amidst consultations and discussions regarding future energy efficient schemes, the visit was organised by Wall Coatings Ltd to demonstrate the importance of funding for improving energy efficiency in vulnerable homes through schemes such as the Rowner Renewal project.

Commenting on the project, Darren James from Wall Coatings Ltd said: “There was no insulation on the buildings and the heating costs were astronomical; some of the residents were paying up to £2,500 in electric bills.

“The EWI has made a huge difference to the quality of life for this community and we thought it was so important that the MPs, councils, energy companies and government departments could see first hand the difference funding such as ECO can make to people in deprived areas such as Rowner.

Paul Kirby, Sales Director from Wetherby added: “By visiting the scheme DECC has seen first hand the transformation of the Rowner community; not just that these homes are now warmer, more comfortable and considerably less expensive to heat, but that they are visually unrecognisable, making it an attractive place to live.

“We just hope that by conducting visits such as this, DECC will sit up and listen to the industry, which has been calling for the government to make improving energy efficiency in the UKs vulnerable homes a national infrastructure priority.”

Notes to editors

Wetherby Building Systems Ltd is the UK’s market leader in the design and distribution of a wide range of solid wall insulation (SWI) systems, polymer modified renders, silicone & acrylic thin-coat renders and brick slip systems. Wetherby’s insulated render systems offer environmentally sympathetic external façade solutions that have been successfully installed on many domestic refurbishment projects, new build schemes, commercial buildings and educational establishments for over 20 years.