Families who are taking part in a new scheme designed to make their homes cheaper to run say they’re dodging sky-high energy bills as a result.
Eight houses on a street in Huddersfield have recently been renovated with new windows, doors and roofs as well as thermal insulation in lofts, cavities and external walls.
The work was part of a pilot scheme launched by Kirklees Council last autumn and, according to residents, has lowered their energy bills.
The homes taking part in the trial are located in Abbey Road in Fartown, with the aim of the project being to make the properties more energy efficient.
One resident, Rebecca Simpson, says she has been able to avoid a jump in bills during the cost of living crisis thanks to the work that was done on her home.
The 32-year-old lives with epilepsy and had to move out of her home for six months as the work took place because she "could not do with the noise".
But she said her “retrofitted” home was well worth the wait and urged the council to roll out the scheme to other homes.
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"It is way warmer and the house is brighter because they have opened up all of the windows. It is a bit more airy rather than stuffy and small. It has helped a lot - my house feels brighter," she said.
"It is cheaper now because it is all electric, but obviously bills have just gone up. I have been in here a month now, but because it has all gone up recently I am still paying what I would have been doing before.
"I am doing alright. It has not gone up like everyone else's has, because it is efficient, but I am still paying the same in bills."
Another resident, Belinda, who did not wish to give her surname, said she has noticed a big difference in her home since the council completed its work.
"The house is warmer and it is all electric now - we don't use gas. The homes look beautiful as well. I would definitely recommend (living in a similar home)," she said.
"I have been here for 14 years and it was really cold before. I don't know what the winter is going to be like, but right now the house is really warm."
Belinda added her energy bills have fallen slightly since she moved back into the home.
"I 'punch' and I don't pay quarterly. It seems to be a bit less than what it was before - bills have gone down since I moved back in,” she said.
“I only have electric to pay, but obviously I am using more electricity."
Kirklees Council leader Cllr Shabir Pandor has previously said the authority would need tens of millions of pounds to complete a retrofitting programme across more than 20,000 homes in the borough.
Speaking in March, Cllr Pandor said: "If we don't do [retrofitting] at scale across the country we're not going to meet our carbon efficiency targets.
"Projects like this one on Abbey Road help to deliver that. It's a no-brainer. Why the government refuses to back local authorities to scale this up, I don't know."
It comes as the boss of Ofgem warned the energy price cap could rise to £2,800 in October.
Energy consultant Cornwall Insight forecasts the price cap will hit £2,879 from October before rising to £2,907 in January, under new rules that mean the cap can be adjusted every three months.
The price cap for those on default tariffs paying by direct debit increased by £693 from £1,277 to £1,971 last month.
