Mayor’s plan to improve living standards and cut energy bills for thousands of households

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has launched the region’s most ambitious plan yet to improve living standards and tackle fuel poverty for thousands of low-income households.

Up to 10,000 of the oldest and coldest social and privately-owned homes in the region will be upgraded to make them warmer and cheaper to run. This is thanks to a £167 million energy efficiency fund announced by the Mayor today, Thursday, January 30.

The funding will help residents with the cost of living by bringing thousands of homes up to modern energy efficiency standards, cutting their fuel usage.

Their homes will be fitted with insulation, new doors and windows, solar panels, and state-of-the-art greener and smarter heating systems.

Improving the quality of housing is one of the Mayor’s priorities with an estimated 254,000 West Midlands households in fuel poverty- one of the highest rates in the country. The region also has some of the country’s least energy efficient homes.

This is the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) largest-ever home energy efficiency upgrade programme.

As part of funding package, the WMCA will spend £36 million to ease pressure on the finances of councils, schools and colleges and other public sector organisations such as the NHS and emergency services by making their buildings cheaper to heat and power.

The funding will also unlock further investment in housing of around £80 million from councils and their housing providers.

The Mayor announced his plans during a visit to Friar Park in Wednesbury, Sandwell, where 200 social homes built between the First and Second World Wars are now being improved.

The Mayor said: “I pledged to deliver a mass insulation programme to make thousands of our homes warmer, safer, greener and cheaper to run. Today I am delivering on that pledge as we launch the most ambitious programme the region has ever seen.

"This funding from Government will allow us to upgrade homes, colleges and schools - cutting carbon emissions, cutting bills and most importantly, lifting thousands of families out of fuel poverty.

“We’re not just improving homes; we’re improving lives, and building a greener, fairer West Midlands for everyone.”

Holly Farmer is one of the Friar Park residents who are having their homes improved - after her gas and electricity bills doubled over the last three years.

Thanks to WMCA funding, new insulation and solar panels to power her home with renewable energy have been installed at the 1930s semi detatched house where she lives with her two children.

Holly said: "In the winter with young children it can be a struggle to keep the gas and electricity bill down, so any saving is good, particularly on such a big household cost. With shopping, you can make changes but with energy there is no leeway and it can be hard to cut those costs. So having solar panels and better insulation is a brilliant opportunity to be able save some money.”

Mother-of-four Sasha Beckford, who also lives at Friar Park in Wednesbury, has been struggling to pay her gas and electricity bills which she says are four times higher than they were before energy prices shot up in 2022

Thanks to the funding package, her home is now being fitted with solar panels and new insulation, windows and doors to help stop heat from leaking out of her 1920s three-bed semi-detached home.

Sasha said: “Energy was quite cheap before the price chaos started about three years ago and then all of a sudden the bills just started going up and up. I was literally going out of my mind. I couldn’t afford it. I have to pay my rent, council tax, maintain the house and look after four children.

“The prices are quite depressing so I’m excited at the prospect of cheaper bills. That’s going to make a big difference to our family budget.”

Work to make existing homes and public buildings more energy efficient with lower carbon emissions will support the region’s bid to be net zero by 2041.

It will also create jobs for local people in supply chains by creating a new and sustained demand for energy efficiency products and services.

Almost 1,000 people have already successfully completed retrofit training courses funded by the WMCA since May 2024 so they have the skills needed to install low carbon technology and insulation in local homes.

Cllr Peter Hughes, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and infrastructure, said: “We’re determined to tackle fuel poverty and climate change head-on. By making homes more energy efficient, here in Sandwell, we will provide the vital assistance that our residents need.

“This will help them to make savings on their energy bills during this cost-of-living crisis, whilst, at the same time, ensuring a more sustainable future for everyone in the borough.”

Rachel Jones, CEO of Act on Energy, the region’s leading energy advice charity, said: “This new funding is a welcome relief for thousands of households across the region who are still struggling with high energy bills and cold and damp homes.

“The cheapest energy is the energy we don’t use, so conserving heat in the home with insulation, combined with greener energy technology will not only help to keep residents warmer and safer, but also help to lower hills for the longer term.”

Anyone living within the West Midlands area can phone Act on Energy for free on 0800 988 2881, for impartial energy advice.