Waltham Forest Council to spend £725k on energy upgrades for 50 households

Waltham Forest Council will spend the remaining £725,000 of its Warm Homes Local Grant on energy efficiency upgrades for 50 households by March 2028.

The borough has the third-highest rate of fuel poverty in London. In Waltham Forest, 11.5% of households cannot afford to heat their homes properly, and in privately rented homes the figure is 28%. The London average is 9.6%, and only Barking & Dagenham and Newham have higher rates.

Housing produces 43.5% of the borough's emissions, more than any other source. A recently published council report calls energy efficiency upgrades a "major opportunity".

The council said: "We will continue to prioritise low-income and vulnerable households for WHLG grants and offer application support via HEET where needed."

Reaching private landlords

The council says getting private landlords on board is still hard. More than 300 landlords signed up to a pilot with retrofit company Domna, but it is expected to upgrade only 10 to 15 private homes by March.

The bigger picture

Council projects have improved 5,689 homes since 2012. When this programme ends, Waltham Forest will have put £3.4 million into 225 homes.

The council is also looking at homes overheating, which it describes as a growing concern.