EDF Energy Funds £100,000 Energy Efficiency Scheme to Help Flood Affected Homes in Cumbria

·       36 homes will benefit from the scheme and save money on their energy bills

·       Residents could save almost £160 every year on fuel bills

·       1,080 tonnes of carbon emissions will be saved across Cumbria 

EDF Energy, the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity, today announced the completion of a £100,000 scheme that has helped to fund energy efficiency measures in 36 flood affected homes in Kendall and Carlisle.

In the first and largest scheme of its kind in Cumbria, flood-damaged cavity wall insulation has been replaced in the properties by new water-resistant bonded polystyrene bead insulation which will improve the energy efficiency of the properties. It is estimated that this will help residents to make significant savings on their fuel bills, up to £160 per year, the equivalent of 30 tonnes of carbon emissions per household.

EDF Energy partnered with Green Deal First and its installation company Thrift Energy to complete the £100,000 project, which is part of the Government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – an initiative designed to help people in low-income areas save energy, thereby saving carbon and money on their energy bills.

EDF Energy has worked with Green Deal First and Thrift Energy since 2015. Work commenced on the project in April this year and was quickly completed in three months. 

Mark Dallen, Business Development Account Manager at EDF Energy, said: “We are proud to use our ECO project funding to help homes affected by flooding in Cumbria. As the Cavity Insulation Guarantee Association recommended the removal of flood-damaged cavity insulation, local residents were previously at risk of cold homes and higher bills this winter.  These energy efficiency improvements will make a significant difference to the lives of people in Cumbria, helping them to enjoy warm, energy efficient homes.”

Derek Campbell, Managing Director of Thrift Energy Limited said:

“Having personally seen the devastation caused by the floods in Carlisle it is rewarding to have been able to help those affected with this solution.  We have been able to quickly remove the flood damaged insulation and replace it with a thermally efficient, water resistant solution, allowing much quicker reoccupation with minimum disruption. The ECO funding from EDF Energy has helped families benefit from warm, dry and well insulated homes, with lower heating bills for the coming winter.”

Local resident Mrs Pauline Thompson said: “After the devastation caused by the recent floods, we’re extremely grateful to receive the ECO funding from EDF Energy as it really helped with the cost of the work.  We are now back in our home and looking forward to a warmer winter with lower bills.”

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Notes to editors

About ECO

The ECO scheme was introduced at the beginning of 2013, and set energy suppliers with individual targets to deliver energy saving improvements to customers’ homes. The scheme focuses on benefiting vulnerable and low-income households as well as properties that are considered ‘hard-to-treat’.

EDF Energy

EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies and the largest producer of low-carbon electricity, producing around one-fifth of the nation's electricity from its nuclear power stations, wind farms, coal and gas power stations and combined heat and power plants. The company supplies gas and electricity to over 5 million customer accounts and is the biggest supplier of electricity by volume in Great Britain.

EDF Energy’s safe and secure operation of its eight existing nuclear power stations at sites across the country makes it the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity. EDF Energy is also leading the UK's nuclear renaissance and has published plans to build four new nuclear plants, subject to the right investment framework.

These new plants could generate enough low carbon electricity for about 40% of Britain’s homes. They would make an important contribution to the UK’s future needs for clean, secure and affordable energy. The project is already creating business and job opportunities for British companies and workers.

Through Our Better Energy Ambitions, EDF Energy has developed one of the biggest environmental and social programmes of any British energy company.

In 2014 EDF Energy received seven ‘Big Ticks’ in the Business in the Community (BITC) Responsible Business Awards. In 2013 EDF Energy received the Environmental Leadership for Behavioural Change Award in the national Environment and Energy Awards and was highly commended in the first ever pan European Corporate Social Responsibility Awards scheme for its Sustainable Schools programme – the Pod.

EDF Energy is part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. The company employs around 14,000 people at locations across the UK.

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