Hundreds of households across Teesside are set to benefit from lower energy bills this winter thanks to a sustainability drive to make homes warmer and more affordable to heat.

Under the initiative, support services company Carillion is working in partnership with social housing providers and developers Erimus Housing and Tees Valley Housing, partners in Fabrick Housing Group, to replace their tenants' old electric heaters with energy efficient A-rated gas central heating systems.

The project is being part funded through the Government's Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) - which is worth £350 million in total and is designed to make whole house and whole area energy improvements - and with £204,000 coming from Carillion's funding partner.

-- Advertisement --

To make the fuel switch possible pipeline owner Northern Gas Networks provided an additional £200,000 of funding in partnership with community group Community Energy Services to connect the properties to mains gas.

The work cements the commitment of the partners in Fabrick Housing Group to tackle fuel poverty as part of their wider sustainability strategy.

The heating systems in some homes have already been switched but up to 230 households will eventually benefit across Hartlepool, Stockton, Hemlington in Middlesbrough and Redcar.

Geoff Prior, Group Head of Asset Management for Fabrick, said: "This project will help some of our most vulnerable tenants with energy efficient and affordable heating for years to come"

(CD/GK)