Esh Construction has been selected to retrofit homes throughout County Durham following a successful bid by Durham County Council, which secured £630,000 in funding through Phase 2 of the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG 2) from the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero.

Energy efficiency upgrades and low carbon heating will be installed in up to 35 eligible homes across the region, including owner-occupied and private rented properties off the gas grid.

The project will include improved ventilation, loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, air source heat pumps, smart heating controls and photovoltaic panels, with each property receiving bespoke upgrades. Esh has commissioned Storm Tempest to conduct retrofit assessments, design and coordination to establish which measures will improve the eligible homes to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C rating.


Esh Construction is a TrustMark-accredited contractor and partners with a PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 compliant supply chain. The firm is a PAS 2030 certified installer for cavity wall insulation, including that installed in party walls, energy efficient glazing and doors, external wall insulation (site rendered external wall insulation systems and pre-finished external wall insulation systems) and loft insulation.

The Home Upgrade Grant, a government-funded scheme by the Department for Energy and Net Zero, was introduced to deliver progress on statutory fuel poverty targets for England by 2030 and UK Net Zero targets by 2050 and focuses on upgrading inefficient off-gas grid heated homes to provide cleaner and more sustainable heating solutions.

The HUG 2 project prioritises homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D, E, F, or G. Low-income households who own their home can get upgrades fully funded within the relevant cost caps and do not have to contribute.