Liverpool city region energy retrofit firm Next Energy wins £9m local authority contract to install energy-efficiency measures in 500 homes. Tony McDonough reports

Next Energy is to improve the energy efficiency of 500 homes after winning a £9m deal.

Manchester City Council has appointed Prescot-based Next to retrofit homes across the city. The firm will install a variety of measures including insulation measures, air source heat pumps and solar PV panels.

This contract is part of the government’s Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 (HUG2), a scheme designed to improve the energy performance of eligible homes across the UK in order to meet the national net zero target by 2050.

Manchester has a more ambitious target to be net zero by 2038. To qualify, residents must live in Manchester, homes must be privately owned or privately rented.

They must have an energy performance certificate (EPC) of D, E, F or G and they must earn a combined income of less than £31,000 per year. This figure will increase to £36,000 from April 2.

Next Energy was established in 2016 in response to the government’s Net Zero ambitions.

Since its inception, the company has gone on to become one of the UK’s leading renewable insulation heating specialists. It has worked for more than 18,000 domestic and commercial customers.

The company has worked with major social landlords across the UK, as well as leading providers including British Gas, E.ON, NPower and OVO Energy to help meet targets set under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) Scheme.

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Lee McNally, director at Next Energy, said: “The Home Upgrade Grant is a huge step towards decarbonising the UK’s housing stock. Our partnership with Manchester City Council gives low-income families the chance to properly insulate their homes.

“We want to tackle fuel poverty head on and these grants will help us deliver much-needed energy improvements to hundreds of households across Manchester.

“Applications take no more than ten minutes to complete and we encourage everyone who thinks they might be eligible to apply for funding.”