WINCHESTER City Council is reducing the carbon emissions and running costs of four vacant council homes before they are relet.

The properties, in Droxford and South Wonston, are getting energy-saving upgrades including internal wall insulation and new heating systems to improve energy ratings (EPC) from grade D to C.

The project follows the retrofit of five timber-framed ‘Swedish cottages’ in Bramdean and Cheriton, which have obtained full fabric upgrades and, in some cases, new heating systems, raising their EPC ratings from D to F up to a C.

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Deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for community and housing, Cllr Paula Ferguson, said: “The energy efficiency of the council’s housing is key to our plans to tackle the climate emergency - we are committed to making our council housing greener faster. It’s therefore great to see this work getting underway as part of our wider retrofit programme with the ambitious target to make all council homes carbon neutral by 2030.

“These works are also good news for the new tenants as the properties will cost less to heat once the improvements are made – that’s a huge benefit, especially given the challenges that many face given the significant rise in the cost of living.”

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The upgrade of the four properties forms part of the council’s wider plan to improve energy and cost efficiency of its homes.

A second scheme, Retrofit Ready, which aims to make smaller energy efficiency upgrades to homes that are currently tenanted, began at the end of last year.

A callout asking tenants if they'd like the upgrades received more than 800 responses and energy assessments have begun for those homes, with work such as upgrades to windows, doors and extractor fans starting soon.