A project to upgrade 326 ‘hard to heat’ homes in Kingston is saving households a total of £88,000 per year.

Kingston Council’s Better Homes scheme tied in with a £308,000 fund from the Energy Company Obligation to improve energy efficiency.

Christine, a resident who benefitted from the works, said: “Before we were spending £25 to £30 per week on our gas and electricity during the winter and we had to have our heating on day and night.

“But now, the exterior wall insulation that has been installed keeps the cold out and the warmth in and we're spending much less.”

The project won second place in the Regional Energy Efficiency Awards, beaten only by the Mayor of London’s RE:NEW.

Councillor Cathy Roberts, cabinet member with responsibility for housing at Kingston Council, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised for our transformational, integrated approach to improving our residents’ lives.

"We combined our plans for energy efficiency works with our schedule of home upgrades so that we only had to disturb our residents once.

“All of the works have a 25-year guarantee and save each household at least £270 a year, which across the 326 homes is £88,000, which makes a huge difference. Previously classified as ‘hard to heat’ homes, the 1920s buildings on the Norbiton and Mount Pleasant estates are now energy efficient.”