Cobalt recruits Ecogee for £4.7m retrofit programme

A range of energy-efficiency improvements will be made at 287 of the housing association’s properties in North Liverpool.

Ecogee, which specialises in energy and construction, will be installing solar panels, loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, and ventilation works as part of Cobalt Housing’s decarbonisation project. These retrofit works are valued at £2.7m.

Aintree-based Ecogee will also be delivering £2m-worth of investment works, comprising kitchen and bathroom replacements.

Together, this £4.7m investment is financed through the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and the Home Upgrade Grant.

The homes that are to be upgraded all have an energy performance rating of below SAP Band C. Ridge and Partners conducted a retrofit assessment on all the properties prior to the works starting.

Ecogee plans to conclude the energy-efficiency upgrades by March 2025.

Ian Hancock, director of property at Cobalt, said his team was “delighted” to work with Ecogee on the scheme.

“Together, we can help reduce carbon emissions and our tenants’ energy bills while ensuring that the people in our community have high-quality, warm, and comfortable homes for years to come,” Hancock said.

Ecogee managing director Brendan Helm said his company was similarly pleased to work with Cobalt on the retrofit scheme.

“Being able to deliver much-needed energy-efficient solutions to so many homes gives us great confidence that we are on our way to tackling fuel poverty,” Helm said.

“There are more than 37,000 people living in fuel poverty in Liverpool and Sefton, so projects like these are vital and hopefully aim to lower our local communities’ gas and electricity bills, as well as reducing carbon emissions overall.”

Ecogee is part of Regenda Group, which also includes property agency Redwing, housing association Regenda Homes, and housing need support provider Petrus.

Cobalt manages 5,900 homes in North Liverpool. The housing association has ambitious plans for the future, with a goal to construct 1,000 homes by 2030.