How is the Midlands region tackling fuel poverty?

Housing Industry Leaders spoke to associations in the Midlands region to understand how they are tackling fuel poverty in the region.

In the rural Midland’s communities, access to affordable and efficient heating during the winter months has been a longstanding issue, with over 254,000 West Midlands households currently living in fuel poverty.

However, through government support, housing associations are able to access funding which is bringing thousands of homes up to modern energy efficiency standards while improving resident living situations. 

The new Warm Homes Plan in early 2024, stated that all rented and social housing properties will meet energy efficiency requirements by 2030, reaching a minimum EPC rating of C. Featuring new investment for British manufacturing, the plan is set to benefit up to 300,000 homes.

With aims to discuss how the UK can overcome these issues in the Midlands region, Housing Industry Leaders have spoken with an association who are taking a stance in improving the lives of its citizens.

Midlands Rural Housing (MRH), a provider serving four rural associations across the region, has embarked on an ambitious retrofit program that is transforming the energy performance of its off-grid properties.

Midlands Rural Housing retrofit project

The association commenced its retrofit project in October 2023, targeting 118 houses across Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, and the Peak District and as of January 2025, 117 of the target 118 houses have been completed, highlighting a notable success in the Midlands, resulting in a total of zero refusals.  

The project featured a comprehensive heat pump central heating system, alongside insulation upgrades and a complimentary solar panel installation in conjunction with battery storage.

While not only future-proofing its social housing stock, Rural Midlands Housing aimed to deliver “tangible cost savings and improved living conditions for its residents”.

Speaking with the tenant liaison officer on the project, Adam Boam, HIL gained an insight into how the association’s project aligns with government expectations.

Despite government targets for 2030, MRH have stated how they are “ahead of that curve” and have secured that its rental stock will be up to a grade of C by 2028 as opposed to “running around in the 2029 and 2030 in the last minute crunch”.

Boam added how the energy efficiency increases led to tenants saving “between £220 and £280 a year in energy bills, and that’s based on approximate saving of 900 kilowatt-hour”.

As a region with numerous rural communities, addressing such issues may be challenging, as these homes are “in off grid areas where there is no main gas available”.

However, Boam noted that the focus was on the energy performance certificate for the property as being “the main identifier of where we can make the biggest improvements” for those affected by low AEPC ratings. 

Collaboration with manufacturers whilst boosting engagement

RMH have partnered with a consortium of manufacturers and companies across the project which helped to boost tenant engagement whilst ensuring the project maintains standards.

The housing association has partnered with Vaillant, a leading manufacturer of heat pump technology, to deliver these upgrades across their rural properties

Vaillant played an active role in engaging with residents and addressing concerns about the new heating systems. The company brought interactive road shows to the local villages, setting up fully functioning heat pump displays where residents can see, hear, and even test the equipment. 

“These road shows have been a big deal in the community,” explains Boam. “It really helps put people’s minds at ease to be able to come and experience the technology firsthand”.

Through further collaboration with DR Consultancy on retrofit assessments, the association was able gain a large scope onto the types of issues that are occurring, while targeting certain regions ensuring its “actually going to benefit people”.

Overcoming rural housing challenges in the Midlands

While the benefits of Midlands Rural Housing’s retrofit program are clear, the team has also had to navigate a unique set of challenges inherent to the rural communities they serve.

“We’re looking for the best option to pull them out of fuel poverty”-  Adam Boam 

Unlike urban areas with more accessible infrastructure, these off-grid properties have presented logistical hurdles that require creative solutions.

“A lot of these homes are in really remote locations, where you can’t even drive up to them,” explains Boam. “We’ve had cases where the contractors have had to park their vans and then walk across a narrow bridge over a stream just to reach the property.”

According to MRH, the dispersed nature of the rural housing stock meant the project team had to align their effort whilst making sure “we bring the whole community up to the standard together”.

Keeping a tenant-centric approach

MRH have identified that the interests of their tenants remained at the forefront of the project.  

Boam stated: “I was brought on to be a tenant liaison officer, to ensure that the project went as smoothly as possible, that the residents didn’t feel like they were being pushed into a box, and that they had a good understanding of what was actually going to be happening and why”.

Although the process itself can be seen as an “invasive” project Boam emphasised how the flip side leaves residents with “a phenomenally efficient central heating system, where previously they will have had a mixture of ancient storage heaters.