Wheatley unveils plan for ‘greener homes, greener lives’

Wheatley Group has announced plans to drive a green agenda and eliminate fuel poverty by investing £100 million on sustainability initiatives.

Wheatley is announcing the plans as Glasgow prepares to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP26.

The group’s sustainability targets, and a range of other initiatives will help its long-term aims of becoming carbon neutral and eliminating fuel poverty.

Investment totalling £100 million over the next five years will include:

• £36 million spent on new double/triple glazed windows to make homes more energy efficient.
• £10 million on external wall insulation to help improve the thermal efficiency of homes and cut fuel bills.
• £10 million on ‘connected response’, an innovative solution to inefficient and expensive electric heating which has been shown to reduce energy use by up to 30% and cut bills by up to £300 per year.

Wheatley, like all social landlords, is working to improve the energy performance of its homes by 2032, under the Scottish Government’s requirement for Energy Efficiency Standards in Social Housing (EESSH).

The group will also invest £10 million on new innovative technologies to improve energy efficiency as they become available to meet EESSH targets.

Wheatley is also committing to being carbon neutral in its corporate estate by 2026 and reduce carbon emissions from its homes by at least 4000 tonnes per year.

Stephen Devine, Wheatley’s Director of Assets and Sustainability, said: “Wheatley is absolutely committed to creating ‘Greener Homes, Greener Lives’ across Scotland over the next five years – and we want to inspire our staff and the communities we serve to help us meet climate commitments and reduce carbon emissions. 

“Many of our communities are already benefiting from our massive investment programme, including new energy-efficient heating systems in multi-storeys and solar panels, which make our homes more environmentally friendly and reduce heating costs.”

Wheatley’s is continually improving the energy-efficiency of its homes by investment work. This includes the use of solar panels and battery systems, and enhanced external insulation on tens of thousands of homes.

Future plans will include an emphasis on green jobs and apprenticeships – including with Wheatley’s partners City Building (Glasgow) – in renewables and low-carbon alternatives to gas, such as electric and hydrogen heating, as well as more electric vehicles and improved recycling. Communities will also be asked to bring forward ideas for sustainable projects in their areas.

Stephen Devine added: “Wheatley’s commitment to sustainability is already making homes and lives better.

“Our investment in greener living will help us tackle fuel poverty and reduce the cost of running a home and our focus on new and emerging technologies will help create green jobs, training and other opportunities for our customers.”

In June, Wheatley became the first housing group in Scotland to gain Planet Mark accreditation.