Aster Group partners with WPS to deliver specialist skills and £20m decarbonisation programme

Aster Group has appointed WPS, the property services arm of Wates Group, to deliver specialist skills and enhance the energy efficiency of more than 750 properties across the South of England and London, as the housing association accelerates efforts for all of its homes to be EPC C or above by 2030.

The £20m three-year programme of works forms part of Aster’s long-term strategy to meet decarbonisation goals. WPS will deliver energy improvements to around 750 of Aster’s homes, making them warmer and helping customers to reduce energy usage and costs.

These works will focus on a range of measures including cavity wall and loft insulation, ventilation upgrades, upgrading windows and doors and renewable energy sources such as air source heat pumps and solar panels. These initiatives focus on customers’ thermal comfort and keeping heat in the home to make sure they stay warmer for longer, especially during the colder months. They will promote efficient energy use without compromising ventilation.

This project represents the first time Aster has partnered with an external contractor at this scale to deliver retrofit works, and WPS’ expertise will help the housing association to deliver specialist skills not currently found within the team’s dedicated, local trade teams.

Just 15% of Aster’s homes remain below an EPC C rating and they will collaborate closely with customers and colleagues to co-design future repairs and maintenance services to bring all homes up to standard.

The news comes after Aster secured more than £5.9m of funding through Wave 3 of the Government’s Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund. This includes £4.52m from the West of England Combined Authority for over 500 homes across Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset, and £1.4m for over 200 homes in Hampshire, which, once matched by Aster, will give investment figures of £9m and £2.8m respectively.

Gary Bellenger, Director of Home Strategy and Sustainability at Aster Group said: “This new partnership with WPS marks an important step in how we deliver major energy efficiency programmes. This work is about more than meeting targets; it’s about investing in our homes to improve the lives of our customers.

“We want our homes to be warmer, better insulated and ready for the future, whether that’s through modern heating systems, improved insulation or renewable energy, and collaborations like this will play an integral role in making this happen.

“Funds like the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund are also key to ensuring housing associations are able to make lasting energy efficiency improvements to homes across the UK.

“But, if we really want to make a difference, we’ll need the government, private sector and housing associations to work together to deliver the scale of change that is needed.”

 David Morgan, Executive Managing Director for WPS, said: “We’re proud to be working with Aster on this programme to improve energy efficiency across a large number of its homes.

 “Demand is growing for homes that deliver better energy performance, have a lower impact on the environment and help to reduce energy bills. These improvements will lower emissions to deliver tangible benefits for residents in terms of warmth and comfort and support the wider energy transition.”

 “Our mission is to deliver homes where people cannot just live, but thrive, so we’re delighted to be partnering with Aster to collectively create positive social impact for the area.”

 This project will form a key part of Aster’s Strategic Alliance, which is focused on delivering value for money, lowering risk and providing scalability for making improvements to over 37,000 homes it owns and manages across the south of England and London.