Northern Gas Networks has joined forces with Registered Social Landlord Pennine Housing 2000, a member of the Together Housing Group, and Community Energy Solutions (CES) to provide fully funded gas mains connections to 140 properties, which were previously without a mains gas supply.
The work, which began last week, will connect homes at Stansfield Close, CrossleyGardens, Rothery Court and Cherry Court, with the £110,000 cost being fully funded by Northern Gas Networks as part of its on-going programme to tackle fuel poverty across the North East, most of Yorkshire and northern Cumbria.
Kevin Drake, programme manager for Northern Gas Networks said: “Bringing affordable warmth to communities affected by fuel poverty is a vital part of Northern Gas Networks’ activities and we are delighted to be working with Pennine Housing and CES to help provide a more efficient and cost effective energy source to the 140 homes at this site inHalifax.”
The successful completion of the gas network extension, which is expected to take around six weeks, will allow the 140 properties to be fitted with a full gas central heating system, giving them access to more controllable and efficient heating and instant hot water for the first time.
Work to replace the existing electric storage heaters will be carried out by Pennine Housing as part of its wider programme of improvements, with residents also set to benefit from potentially lower fuel bills and reduced carbon emissions as a result.
Tom Miskell, Together Housing Group chief executive, said: “As the largest Registered Social Landlord in Calderdale, we are committed to providing the best possible housing stock for the benefit of our tenants and the wider community.
“The improvement programme inHalifaxis a key part of this and following the work by CES and Northern Gas Networks, will allow us to provide new gas central heating systems to 140 homes in time for the winter.”
The Halifax extension is the latest in a series of similar fuel poor projects to be carried out by Northern Gas Networks and Leeds-based Community Energy Solutions, with the partnership having already connected more than 2000 homes across the North East and Yorkshire through the fuel poor gas network extension scheme.
This is the first time the partnership has worked with Pennine Housing 2000, with similar schemes recently carried out in Hull, Leeds and Wakefield on behalf of other Registered Social Landlords and local authorities across Yorkshire.
Chris Sowerbutts, project manager for CES, said: “We are delighted to be working alongside Pennine Housing 2000 and Northern Gas Networks to continue our efforts to provide off-gas communities with much needed gas connections and to help reduce fuel poverty across Yorkshire.”