West Devon homes are set to receive £1.6m to boost energy efficiency over the next three years. The funding, awarded to West Devon Borough Council, comes from the government's home upgrade grants scheme (HUG).
In the previous round of funding, 41 private sector rented properties in the borough benefited from retrofitting measures at a total cost of £866,000.
Retrofitting can include adding insulation, window upgrades, and improvements to lighting, hot water and heating systems, as well as other energy efficiency measures like solar panel installation.
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As a result of these enhancements, energy bills in the upgraded properties have been reduced by up to £300 a year, with CO2 emissions cut by 164 tonnes per year.
However, the council's hub committee heard that HUG2 had been "challenging", with the number of completed properties slightly below the target of 55, a trend reflected nationally.
In this third iteration of the scheme, dubbed "warmer homes," no targets were set, but David Sexton, the principal environmental health officer for the council, expressed his intention to spend the money quickly to request more from the government.
Despite encountering issues such as rats and asbestos at properties, Mr Sexton said the experience gained from previous schemes would enable them to make swift progress.
Ian Luscombe, head of environmental health, said if the council could demonstrate the project's success, additional funding could be secured.
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"The team has gone from a cold start and set up a procurement system and a supply system that will enable us to roll straight into the next three year programme," he said. "It's brought a huge amount of support into West Devon where we can help most vulnerable residents."
Cllr Lynn Daniel (Green, South Tawton) relayed a message from a local resident who acknowledged her home upgrade was more prolonged and complex than expected but said for the first time she was warm in her own home.
Council leader Cllr Mandy Ewings (Ind, Tavistock South West) recognised that although the number of upgrades fell short of expectations, it remained a "true success story". She encouraged councillors to identify individuals struggling with heating costs as the council may be able to assist.
The HUG scheme mandates private landlords to cover one-third of the cost for any property improvements.
To qualify for funding, properties must be domestic off-gas grid homes with an EPC rating of band D or below, and households should either have a combined gross annual income below £31,000 or be situated in economically deprived areas.
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