The Switched On programme, which uses funding from the Government’s Local Authority Delivery Scheme, allows residents to receive energy efficient measures that will generate clean energy and reduce their bills.
Portsmouth City Council recently celebrated the 1,000th installation of fully funded solar panel systems, solid wall insulation and park home insulation in residents' homes, thanks to funding secured by its in-house energy services team.
Since March 2021, 344 Portsmouth households have benefitted; the remainder of the 1,000 homes are within one of the other council areas in the Portsmouth-led consortium.
It is the largest scheme of its kind in the UK, with almost 3,000 tonnes of annual carbon emissions avoided.
Solar panel systems have been installed at no cost to residents and will continue to produce clean energy which can in turn be used by residents in their own home, cutting energy bills.
Wall insulation has also been installed to keep residents' homes warmer, improve energy efficiency and in turn reduce bills.
Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Green Recovery, Cllr Kimberly Barrett, said: "I am thrilled to be able to announce the delivery of the energy saving measures in 1,000 homes as a result of funding secured by Portsmouth City Council.
"We face uncertain times with the currently unpredictable energy market, so enabling residents to take control of their home's energy efficiency and clean energy generation is incredibly important. I'm looking forward to seeing the extension of the scheme in 2022 and beyond."
Portsmouth City Council leads a consortium of 22 local authorities and spearheads the delivery of fully funded measures to eligible residents in these areas. The council works alongside Agility Eco, which serves as the delivery partner for the measures across the country.
Local contractors were used in Portsmouth to complete the jobs. Multiple installations in the city and in Gosport were taking place when the 1,000th would have been finished.
The scheme is delivered with funding from the Department for Business Energy and Industry Strategy.
Business and Energy Minister, Lord Callanan, said: “The UK has a strong track record in improving the energy performance of households across the country and this milestone means more Portsmouth residents can now enjoy warmer homes that are cheaper to heat and produce fewer emissions.
“The 1,000 low-carbon heating and energy efficiency measures that have been installed through this Government funding are helping to drive down bills and make homes greener – all while supporting work for local tradespeople.”
Portsmouth residents applied for the measures through the Switched On Portsmouth website. The website also allows residents to apply for a number of other fully funded measures including first time central heating, replacement boilers, home visits from experts in energy-saving and much more.
