Bolton at Home properties are to be upgraded in a £2M upgrade which could keep energy bills down and protect the environment at the same time.

Properties in the Washacre area of Westhoughton have been selected for the investment to receive energy improvements as part of a key initiative to reduce carbon emissions.

The housing body was awarded a grant to make the houses more energy efficient in what is being described as a flagship project to help  Bolton at Home deliver on the objectives of its Climate Change Strategy and work towards its goal of being a net zero carbon housing provider.

The homes will be insulated, double glazed and damp and mould issues rectified.

The funding is just under £2m and has come from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).

The total investment for the project is around £5m, with the remaining £3m coming from Bolton at Home’s capital programme.

Bolton at Home is targeting 186 properties for upgrades as part of the scheme, but this number may go up or down depending on the results of property surveys.

Westhoughton South councillor Neil Maher said: “Many residents have told us about the poor condition of their homes, so this is very welcome news.

“I hope that not only will it improve the homes, but it will help keep people’s energy bills in check.”

An exhibition was recently held to inform residents, and this was attended by Cllr John Strawbridge who said: “Bolton at Home are keen to know the extent of the damp problems and it would be good to know if the properties have cavity walls or double glazing.”

At the exhibition, residents were given LED light bulbs and energy saving advice.

Tim Vincent-Barwood, Bolton at Home’s Group Climate Change Manager, said: “Making our homes more energy efficient is a key part of our strategy to reduce carbon emissions and help tenants to lower bills.

“We’re pleased to have secured this external funding that will enable improvements to a significant number of homes where these retrofit upgrades will have the biggest impact.

“We’ve held two successful community drop in events to share information with our tenants and we will keep them updated throughout the project.”

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