Esh Construction has launched a brand new division amid moves to help registered housing providers boost their green credentials.
The Durham contractor has created Esh Retrofit Solutions, which will specialise in works to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes, helping to meet the growing needs of its clients as well as the wider industry. Works carried out by Esh will help firms to achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) banding of C and above across its portfolio - a Government requirement for all social housing by 2030.
Retrofitting measures the division will carry out include window and door upgrades, installation of secondary glazing, internal or external wall insulation, loft, underfloor or cavity wall insulation. The company will also provide the installation of decarbonisation measures such as air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps and solar photovoltaic panels.
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The creation of the division follows the announcement of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) by the Government in 2019, in a bid to improve the energy performance of social rented homes and support the UK’s target to reach net zero by 2050. A further £800m was earmarked for the second wave of fund in the 2021 spending review and successful applicants will be announced early in 2023.
Andy Radcliffe, chief executive of Esh Group, said: “Unveiling Esh Retrofit Solutions is a key part of our business strategy, firstly to ensure we continue to meet the evolving needs of our clients and the wider industry, and secondly as we take steps within our business toward a more sustainable future. The Government has outlined several key drivers behind improving the energy performance of social rented homes – arguably the most pressing issue tenants face right now is the rising cost of energy bills and combatting the number of households in fuel poverty in the long term can only happen if their homes become more energy efficient.
“We are a privately-owned, local contractor with a strong financial position, this, combined with our extensive knowledge and experience gained through our delivery of social housing refurbishment projects, gives us solid foundations to develop our new division and importantly, support our clients and their tenants through the whole retrofit process.”
The new division will be overseen by head of Retrofit Solutions, Lisa Stafford, who has 27 years’ experience in the construction industry. She said: “The development of our specialist retrofit division has been long in the making and has taken extensive work from everyone involved. We are delighted to mark this significant milestone for Esh with the official launch.
“We will build on our extensive experience of working with housing associations and local authorities to refurbish and upgrade homes for more than two decades by working collaboratively with our clients to improve living conditions for tenants while meeting the Government’s energy efficiency and decarbonisation targets.”
News of the new division comes two months after Esh Group published its accounts, bouncing back to profit after a difficult period in recent years. The company, which has undergone a major re-organisation over the past four years, fell to a loss during the pandemic but saw turnover increase by £32m to £255m in 2021– one of the largest increases in the company’s history – and posted an operating profit of £4m.
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