Asbestos, energy efficiency and community spirit: our work in Immingham and Grimsby
On the south bank of the Humber Estuary sit the towns of Immingham and Grimsby, where we’re undertaking one of the UK’s largest external wall insulation projects.
We’re proud to be improving homes in Immingham and Grimsby as part of one of the largest government-funded social housing projects under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).
Working with Lincolnshire Housing Partnership (LHP), the project aims to bring more than 650 homes up to an Energy Performance Certificate Band C rating.
In one of the most deprived areas of the UK, LHP had many non-traditional properties that were very poorly insulated. For residents, this meant cold and draughty homes that were hard to heat.
Installing improved insulation has meant the homes are now more energy efficient, easier to keep warm and cheaper to heat for residents. Plus, the external wall insulation has replaced grey pebbledash with a fresh white render, giving the homes an updated look.
Adam Jones, Business Development and Pre-Contract Lead in our Green Funding Solutions team, shared more about the benefits the residents are experiencing: “As a result of the new measures, many of the residents said they felt a renewed sense of pride in their homes. Some even thought that anti-social behaviour on the Immingham Estate had reduced as residents had a new focus: working together to improve their community. On top of these benefits, residents could also save up to £375 per year on their energy bills, making a huge difference in these financially challenging times.”
Engaging with the local community
We ensured that the residents were brought on the journey from the start and helped ensure minimal disruption with a dedicated Customer Liaison Officer, And to help bring the project to life for residents, the first property to have external wall insulation installed was one of LHP’s empty homes.
Alongside LHP, we then transformed this home into a site office and show home right in the middle of the estate. We could invite residents to look at the insulation for themselves and have detailed conversations with residents about what to expect and how they would benefit.
We built such great relationships with the residents in Immingham during the installation that we organised a Summer Fun Fest for all the residents at LHP’s Reed Mere estate to celebrate the completion of the homes in Immingham with outdoor games, ice cream and plenty of fish and chips.
Libby Kerman, Sustainability Manager at Lincolnshire Housing Partnership, added: “Our Customer Liaison Officer from E.ON is based on site for most of the week, so customers on those estates have got to know her. She has become a part of the community now, and I’m sure they won’t want her to go! Having that trusted individual on site means we gain better insights from our customers, and that has been hugely beneficial to the project as a whole.”
Ensuring wellbeing and completing on time
The project wasn’t without challenges. We unexpectedly found asbestos in some of the buildings which led to increased costs and significant delays due to the time needed to survey and remove the asbestos. But this was necessary to ensure the residents’ wellbeing during the installation as well as into the future.
The UK weather also created some challenges we had to overcome. We worked through a record-breaking wet winter which impacted how quickly we could install the insulation.
To minimise the impact, we planned around 14-day weather forecasts and installed as much scaffolding early on as we could, so that as many properties as possible were ready when the dry days arrived. Plus, we used a new base coating for the external wall insulation that can be used in lower temperatures and has a faster drying time, which meant we could complete more properties on time, despite the cold and wet conditions.
As a result of the partnership’s work in Immingham and Grimsby, LHP won the Insulation and Fabric Project of the Year 2024 at the National Energy Efficiency Awards. We couldn’t be prouder of the difference we’ve made, and our work with LHP is a testament to the power of partnership.
To find out more about the Social House Decarbonisation Fund, as well as the other energy efficiency grants available, visit eonenergy.com/energy-efficiency-grants