New green, smart homes for FCHO customers in Failsworth

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) customers moving into new apartments on Albert Street West and Woodhall Street, Failsworth, are set to benefit from high quality, modern, environmentally friendly homes which are economical to run.

Six one-bedroom apartments, including two ground floor semi adapted apartments suitable for people with mobility issues, at Albert Street West, and four one-bedroom apartments at Woodhall Street, have now been handed over and customers are starting to move in.

All the homes are for affordable rent.

The £1.3m project is part of FCHO’s strategy to help meet increasing demand for affordable homes across the region.

The housing association has received £390k grant funding from Homes England towards these developments which have been built by local contractor, John Southworth Builders.

All of the apartments are equipped with an innovative energy storage system which combines photovoltaic solar panels with batteries and electric storage heaters to help reduce the homes’ carbon footprint.

Solar panels fitted at the homes will generate energy, which is stored in the batteries.

Customers can then use this energy to run low carbon, electric storage heaters on demand to heat their homes.

This is instead of relying on gas central heating powered by high carbon fossil fuels.

Yasmin, 28, from Oldham, is one of the customers to have picked up the keys for a new apartment.

She said: “I’ve been waiting for my own place for so long and I am over the moon to have moved in here – it’s beyond what I expected.

"Previously I was living at home and, with my mental health struggles, sometimes it was hard.

"Getting this apartment has put me in a really good place and now I’m looking forward to my future and independence.”

The apartments at Albert Street West and Woodhall Street are among 100 homes across the UK, Ireland, Belgium and France trialling the green technology as part of an EU funded project called RED WoLF.

This aims to increase the use of renewable energy in homes, help reduce carbon emissions and generate savings for residents.

Danielle Ashworth, Head of Development at FCHO, said: "Minimising the environmental impact of our new build homes and existing properties, and increasing their energy efficiency is important to us.

"Smarter use of resources means our customers can benefit from good quality housing that’s fit for the future, as well as lower energy bills and more money in their pockets and I hope Yasmin and all our customers are very happy in their new homes.”

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