New funding will help homes become fit for the future 

We are delighted to announce that we will be working with the Environment Centre on a new retrofit project. tEC have secured funding from the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund to facilitate the delivery of a dedicated advice service to help homeowners understand how their homes were built and how they can make them fit for the future.

Greg Ford, PeCAN's Chair of Trustees, said:

We know from our previous work in this area that people are concerned about having an affordably warm and comfortable home.  That’s why I’m delighted that local renters and homeowners will soon be able to ask PeCAN for free, impartial advice about the most effective ways to improve their homes. The government is set to launch its Warm Homes Plan in the new year which is due to deliver subsidies for insulation, solar and heat pumps. With free advice from us and subsidised installations, improving your home is about to become a lot easier. 

Adam Goulden, Chief Executive at the Environment Centre (tEC), said:

Nearly a quarter (24%) of carbon emissions come from our homes so this is a hugely important area. We will not hit our net zero targets without improving our existing housing’s energy efficiency. We also know there’s a gap in awareness, confidence and understanding of the problem, so this funding means we can start to tackle this issue by opening the conversation, sharing our knowledge and helping homeowners make informed decisions about heating and powering their homes. We’re very much looking forward to working with our partners across the region to launch the service to the public in the new year.

The project will be headed up by the Environment Centre (tEC) in partnership with PeCAN, Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis (WinACC) and Energy Alton. The bid for funding was also strongly supported by Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council, the Greening Campaign and several community groups alongside parish, town, and district councils.  

The service will be available to any homeowner across Southampton, Portsmouth and the whole of Hampshire. It will launch in early 2025, so watch this space or sign up to our monthly newsletter to find out more.