Council to spend £43,000 per house to upgrade energy efficiency on Netherfield estate in Milton Keynes

Just over 300 homes in Netherfield will benefit from some of the greenest efficiency upgrades available in the UK .

MK Council is paying out £9.8m for the work, plus £3.4m it has secured from the government.

The money, which works out at just over £43,000 per home, will pay for roofs to be replaced and fitted with high performance insultation.

External walls will be insulated and doors will be upgraded.

The end result will be that gas and electricity bills will reduce by up to 50% for families, says the council.

The programme is also expected to create almost 50 local jobs and apprenticeships. It will form part of the Netherfield estate renewal programme and is expected to start in Summer 2022.

Conversations will start with residents very soon, so work can be planned with "as minimal disruption as possible", say council officers.

The government contribution came through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and the council has vowed to continue to look to take advantage of further waves of green funding to improve the homes of council residents.

Cabinet member for Adults, Housing and Healthy Communities, Cllr Emily Darlington said: “At a time when fuel bills are unaffordable for many, projects like these will make a huge difference to families choosing to heat or eat. I am committed to greening our council homes and this will be our first project in Woughton."

She added: “We are developing similar proposals on other estates and will be working with residents to help them reduce fuel bills and cut carbon emissions.”