Major £7m retrofit to drive energy savings for Oxford’s social homes

Oxford City Council has appointed contractors VINCI Facilities and ODS (Oxford Direct Services) to carry out a £7 million pound retrofit of over 300 social homes across the city.

VINCI Facilities will be working on retrofitting 216 homes, while ODS has been given the contract for the remaining 100 properties. This ambitious project, which is part-funded through the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, aims to improve the energy performance of 316 homes currently rated ‘D’ or below on their Energy Performance Certificates.

Key works will include installing loft and wall insulation, draught-proofing and window upgrades. The council says these retrofits are expected to create warmer, healthier living conditions for tenants while reducing carbon emissions and energy bills. Local job opportunities are also hoped to be created through the major building works.

The retrofit forms part of Oxford City Council’s target to bring 95% of its 8,000 council homes up to at least an EPC band C rating by 2030. However, independent estimates suggest achieving that target across the board could cost over £150 million pounds.

Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing and communities, says:

“I’m really pleased that we’ve reached this milestone and am excited to see the work begin and then homes start to feel the benefits. This project is a significant step towards a more sustainable Oxford; however, we know on its own, it is not enough to get us to our target of bringing 95% of council homes up to EPC C by 2030. We will need significant, sustained government funding to achieve the target and will continue to pursue this.”

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