Carmarthenshire homes now greener than ever
Thousands of Carmarthenshire County Council housing tenants will be marking Wales Sustainability Week in homes which are greener than ever.
The council is mid-way through a £203million investment in its 9,200 homes as part of the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard, a programme which has sustainability at its core.
Through its energy efficiency programme, the council has – to date – achieved an average Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating of 70, which already exceeds the Welsh Housing Quality Standard of 65.
As well as reducing CO2 emissions, the CHS improvements have helped to reduce fuel poverty.
The loft insulation and wall insulation programme has led to an average reduction in heating bills of £200 a year, reducing CO2 emissions by 1,750kg.
High efficiency boilers along with double glazing and damp proofing has saved tenants a further £220 a year and reduced CO2 emissions by 1,680kg.
But the CHS wasn’t just about creating sustainable homes - equal emphasis was placed on promoting sustainable communities, creating opportunities for a sustainable local workforce, and the use of sustainable materials.
Robin Staines, Head of Housing, said: “From the outset, sustainability was incorporated as a key element of the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard, which is on target for completion by 2014/15.
“We recognised that the CHS had a vital role to play in promoting sustainable development which influenced the materials we used, our waste and recycling activities; our energy use and emissions; how we protected natural resources and enhanced our environments and also the opportunities we created in which people could live and work – now and in the future.”
Smaller changes are making just as big an impact.
The council has been providing tenants with guidance on how to live more sustainably in their homes – encouraging them to use low-energy lightbulbs, helping them to save water with simple devices, recycle their waste and making simple suggestions to help their homes stay warmer for longer.
Renewable energy technologies have been installed in homes, including solar panels in some areas, and energy has been sourced from suppliers that generate energy from renewable sources.
More examples can be found in the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard Sustainability Strategy, available on the council’s website at www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk
The council is mid-way through a £203million investment in its 9,200 homes as part of the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard, a programme which has sustainability at its core.
Through its energy efficiency programme, the council has – to date – achieved an average Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating of 70, which already exceeds the Welsh Housing Quality Standard of 65.
As well as reducing CO2 emissions, the CHS improvements have helped to reduce fuel poverty.
The loft insulation and wall insulation programme has led to an average reduction in heating bills of £200 a year, reducing CO2 emissions by 1,750kg.
High efficiency boilers along with double glazing and damp proofing has saved tenants a further £220 a year and reduced CO2 emissions by 1,680kg.
But the CHS wasn’t just about creating sustainable homes - equal emphasis was placed on promoting sustainable communities, creating opportunities for a sustainable local workforce, and the use of sustainable materials.
Robin Staines, Head of Housing, said: “From the outset, sustainability was incorporated as a key element of the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard, which is on target for completion by 2014/15.
“We recognised that the CHS had a vital role to play in promoting sustainable development which influenced the materials we used, our waste and recycling activities; our energy use and emissions; how we protected natural resources and enhanced our environments and also the opportunities we created in which people could live and work – now and in the future.”
Smaller changes are making just as big an impact.
The council has been providing tenants with guidance on how to live more sustainably in their homes – encouraging them to use low-energy lightbulbs, helping them to save water with simple devices, recycle their waste and making simple suggestions to help their homes stay warmer for longer.
Renewable energy technologies have been installed in homes, including solar panels in some areas, and energy has been sourced from suppliers that generate energy from renewable sources.
More examples can be found in the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard Sustainability Strategy, available on the council’s website at www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk
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