Eleven properties in the village of Straiton have recently undergone extensive improvements to help tenants keep energy costs down while keeping their homes warm. 

Scott Cunningham, Ayrshire Housing‘s director of assets and compliance, said: “All in all, over the course of our next five-year business plan, we will be investing more than £11 million in improving the energy efficiency of our homes through better insulation and modernising heating systems to help keep our tenants’ energy costs down.”

“The association are focused on the assessment and trialling of new technology such as battery storage as a means to ensure our tenants are at the forefront of the green revolution that is transforming the way we heat our homes efficiently in the future.”

Investment includes circa £1.8m on new heating systems fitted, and £3.3m on new door and window installations, achieving at least one of the mentioned component replacements to approximately 50% of the social landlord’s total housing stock. 

The new heating, energy conservation and insulation measures will increase the property’s overall thermal efficiency while meeting the expectations of the government’s energy efficiency aspirations.

Paul Winter, a Straiton tenant who has been in his house for 18 months, said: “So far I’ve been very impressed with the energy efficiency of the house and I’m keen to see what impact the new technology will have on my bills over the winter months.”

Scott Cunningham added: “All of the works within the village were completed over the summer in preparation for the colder months ahead. We are confident all our tenants will feel the benefit within their homes and their pockets thanks to the improvement we’ve made to our homes, and across our stock.”