Ground and air source heat pumps, district heating networks, external wall insulation and solar panels will be used to help reduce heating bills for thousands of Leeds council tenants.
The investment is designed to help the council reach its target of having no direct carbon emissions by 2030, as around a quarter of the city’s carbon emissions come from the energy used to heat homes.
Leeds City Council has been working in partnership with the University of Leeds to identify the best way to reduce both heating bills and emissions. New external wall insulation was recently fitted to three high rise blocks – Shakespeare Towers, Shakespeare Grange and Shakespeare Court – in Burmantofts as part of a refurbishment to reduce the energy bills of 300 flats. The towers have also been connected to the city’s Leeds PIPES district heating network.
Councillor Helen Hayden, executive member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, said: “This is an ambitious investment that reaffirms this council’s commitment to tackling the climate emergency. We’re doing everything we can to make the properties we own fit for the future. However, we now need a long-term, national plan that enables private homeowners to invest in their properties and gives reassurance to local businesses to hire and train workers with the skills needed to meet the demand for sustainable housing.”
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