Lib Dems raise Cost of Living concerns for council tenants after insulation delay

Sheffield Lib Dems have raised concerns over an unacceptable delay to council insulation works on council housing, as thousands of Sheffield residents are set to see their energy bills skyrocket.

Lib Dem councillors raised concerns around a delay in insulation works for tenants, after the completion date of a programme to improve energy efficiency through external wall and roof insulation was found to have been delayed into 2024/25.

The scheme as originally proposed in March 2021 would have seen £2.3m spent on insulating council homes this year. Under the original timeline, the work would have substantially reduced the energy bill that many council tenants currently face this year, as Sheffield heads into a difficult winter.

The insulation works, when completed, are anticipated to upgrade 255 council houses to EPC Band C. However, delays around awarding a tender for the works has now led to the start date slipping into 2024/25.

A report to the Strategy and Resources committee said that the Council has not yet secured a provider to deliver the work, after failing to receive any suitable offers from contractors. This has led to completion of the project being delayed until 2024/25, with work not due to begin before next March, two years after the initial approval.

Councillor Joe Otten said at the Strategy and Resources Committee:

“Given that we’re in a cost-of-living crisis and this is insulation work, this is really disappointing. The sooner that the houses can be insulated, the sooner we’re able to reduce the bills for people that may be struggling.

We’ve spent £400,000 last year, and £400,000 this year, and we still don’t have a tender.”

Council officers agreed to provide further information on how this delay occurred to the Strategy and Resources committee in due course.

This delay will come as a concern to council tenants, who are due to face substantially higher energy bills this winter. Research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats found that households on a lower energy efficiency band can spend nearly £1,000 more than needed every year. Around 57% of households in Sheffield were found to have an EPC rating of Band D or below.

Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, leader of the Sheffield Liberal Democrats, said:

"This delay to the council housing insulation project is deeply disappointing. The cost of living crisis is biting us all, but our council tenants especially are often on lower incomes and will be especially feeling the strain from the increased price of food, of fuel, and of energy. As a Council, we should be doing all we can to support our tenants through this difficult time, and between these delays to insulation work and the serious maintenance backlog which has left tenants waiting for weeks for important repairs to be done, I am concerned that this Council is not doing enough."