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City council’s housing stock is not badly insulated
SIR - I was interested to read a letter in the Hampshire Chronicle (September 4) relating to "Old Housing Stock Worst Insulated" and as Portfolio Holder for Housing at Winchester City Council felt it appropriate to respond.
The city council has a responsibility to promote, monitor and provide funding for both private and public sector housing energy efficiency throughout the Winchester District. In its role as landlord, in excess of 5,000 homes across the district have had their insulation upgraded incrementally within the housing stock as standards have risen over time, funded from tenants' rents, Government grants provided direct to the council, or grants from Energy Suppliers.
At present, where council-owned homes have gas-fired heating systems, these have a minimum of 100mm of loft insulation that since 1996 has been upgraded to current standards as boilers are being replaced with more efficient types. In the case of electrically-heated council-owned homes all properties have been insulated to the current standard.
The Government's overall assessment of measuring home energy efficiency is by a rating system known as the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP).
In Winchester's case, its retained housing stock has an average SAP rating of 77.78, while the private sector housing has an assessed rating of 57. The average UK home has a SAP rating of 47.
More than 90 per cent of private sector housing meets the Decent Homes Energy Efficiency standards. The city council has given "means tested" grants totalling £1.75m over the past 10 years to help private sector residents to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Therefore, in a national context, Winchester's retained housing stock is within the Government's top quartile, illustrating that its older housing stock is not badly insulated and that the council continues to do everything it can to help its residents to manage their fuel bills and to help mitigate the effects of global warming.
The council continues to encourage its own tenants to contact the Customer Service Centre on 01962 840222 where they suspect their homes for any reason do not have the stated minimum levels of insulation.
Cllr Tony Coates,
Portfolio Holder for Housing,
Winchester City Council
4:25pm Wednesday 17th September 2008
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