Making a Difference
to people's lives

Green homes project nominated for national award


Our ground-breaking project aimed at reducing carbon emissions and tackling fuel poverty in homes across Shropshire has been nominated for a national award.

We have partnered with Telford-based renewable energy and battery specialists AceOn Group and electrical distributors BEW on a scheme backed by Government money to install green energy systems into 68 existing homes and a further 11 new builds.

The project has been nominated for Climate change retrofit project of the year at the Inside Housing Development Awards, recognising the innovative approach being developed to provide better insulated homes with lower carbon emissions.

The project has seen the installation of solar panels, inverters and 7kWh batteries to allow the homes to capture solar energy and then store it in the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way for later use.

It’s hoped that the £1m project, funded by the Marches LEP, will be the blueprint for renewable energy schemes across the country.

Overall, the project will deliver new jobs, and will lead to a 1,678,750 kWh reduction in energy consumption off the grid and a 720 tonne reduction in carbon dioxide over a 10-year period.

The project has also established a new national training programme to upskill the existing workforce and train apprentices in battery storage installation, with Telford College becoming the first college in the country to pilot and roll out the training.

David Wells, Executive Director of Operational Services for The Wrekin Housing Group, said:

“This project is an excellent example of partnership working to identify and address the challenges of climate changes and rising energy costs for our tenants. I’m delighted that our innovative approach has been recognised with this nomination.

“We would also like to thank our tenants who have allowed us into their homes to install and monitor some of the latest energy-saving techniques. The project has made a huge difference to their lives – some of our tenants are saving up to 75% on their monthly energy bills.

“We are monitoring the performance of the green technologies installed to inform future schemes and help identify other homes that could benefit from retrofitting.”

AceOn Group managing director Mark Thompson said:

“This project has helped reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty, which is especially important in these difficult times when fuel bills are a major worry. We were delighted to work with Wrekin Housing Group on this project, which is providing tangible benefits for both the tenants and the environment.

“We supplied solar panels and battery systems to allow the homes to capture solar energy and then store it in the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way for later use. This means the tenants will save on their fuel bills while reducing the use of fossil fuels which would have added to the issues around climate change.

14th July 2022