December 2023 saw the Torus Group complete the first of 12 retrofit schemes, with a block of six flats on Brunswick Road, Liverpool (L6) benefiting from energy efficient improvements to their homes.

Brunswick is one of 12 projects, which will see 695 Torus homes across the Liverpool City Region and Warrington, benefit from a range works to make tenants homes more energy efficient, improve health and wellbeing too, while simultaneously helping the environment by reducing carbon emissions.

The block of six flats saw Torus customers benefit from a new roof, cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation (EWI), new windows, a Solar PV system, and improved ventilation.

Funding for the works followed a successful bid by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) the Government's Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DoESNZ), Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF). Torus was then awarded £6 million in March 2023, which has been added to a further £15.4 million from Torus itself, seeing a total of around £22 million invested in energy improvement works.

Torus Head of Asset Investment, Mike Austin, said:

“It is not just about bricks and mortar; it is also about improving lives. These works will help people reduce energy usage and reduce heat loss from homes which is incredibly important with the continuing cost-of-living crisis.

“The home energy improvements have been well received by our customers who recognise the benefits that the measures will bring to their home. It is great to see customers take such an interest in the improvements, asking lots of questions and taking an interest in the installation. We will continue to support and work with customers for a further 12 months following the installation to promote positive behavioral change and provide further energy advice and information.”

Work at Brunswick was completed by HMS, which gave them the opportunity to secure PAS:2030 accreditation, making them one of only a small number of companies in the area to secure the accreditation. They can now deliver renewable technology installations and energy efficiency measures to the new PAS:2035 standard, which was introduced in 2019 following the Each Home Counts review in 2018 that uncovered systematic failures and poor standards within the retrofit industry.

Discussing HMS’ latest accreditation, Managing Director, Paul Worthington, said:

“For HMS, it is incredibly important to take proactive steps to becoming as sustainable as possible when undertaking projects like this and Brunswick Road is a splendid example of how we can use more innovative materials and processes. I look forward to seeing how we continue to develop as a greener contractor to offer an even wider range of services when the technology is available.”

Torus Energy and Sustainability Coordinator, Julie-Anne Parker, added:

“This project and the accreditation of HMS further bolsters Torus’s commitment to delivering the groups decarbonisation action plan and commitment to delivering net zero homes. The scheme has provided further opportunities to provide green skills to Torus colleagues including training in retrofit coordination and assessment.”

Other retrofit schemes being delivered include 334 homes in St Helens, 115 homes in Warrington and a further 240 homes in Liverpool. All the schemes will make a significant difference to customers by ensuring that their homes are well insulated, keeping them warmer during the winter months and cooler in the summer months.

In addition to the energy efficiency measures, Torus customers will also benefit from bespoke energy advice and information provided by our charitable arm, Torus Foundation, plus the installation of Smart Monitoring Sensors, which monitor the air quality and humidity levels within the home.

Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to place some of our most vulnerable households under increasing strain, we’re helping people to save on their energy bills by improving the energy efficiency of their homes. Almost a third of all the region’s emissions come from housing; it is a statistic we simply cannot ignore.

“I’m investing more than £100m to help 10,000 households save hundreds of pounds on their energy bills, making sure that they can heat their homes without heating the planet too. But that is only scratching the surface of my ambitions; I’ll continue lobbying government for significantly more funding so we can make a much bigger difference.”

The works will also benefit the environment by helping to reduce carbon emissions, which supports Torus’ wider environmental sustainability strategy, which will play a key role helping the Liverpool City Region and Warrington achieve net zero by 2040 and 2030, respectively.

Other contractors on the Brunswick scheme included Next Energy, Brian Young Architects, and Grayson Building Services. All schemes are expected to be completed in the Summer of 2025. Find out more about the SHDF retrofit projects at torus.co.uk/SHDFRetrofit.