Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced he is to plough an extra £11.5m into his schemes to retrofit buildings in the capital.
The cash will be poured into the mayor’s Re:Fit and Re:New schemes, which fund energy efficiency retrofits of public buildings and homes respectively.
Since 2008 the two schemes have retrofitted 400,000 homes and 350 public buildings, including schools, hospitals, libraries and town halls. The schemes will fund the installation of insulation, heat and power networks, and boiler upgrades among other measures.
Johnson said London needed to “do everything possible to make the most of our resources, reduce carbon emissions and create a more secure, cost-effective and sustainable heat and power supply across London”.
He added: “Retrofitting older homes and buildings has a pivotal part to play in this, while also helping to save us all money on fuel bills. With these innovative energy saving technologies, London is leading the way as a 21st century world city.”
The additional investment is being paid for with £10m from the European Regional Development Fund and £1.5m in interest. Programmes already under way under the two schemes include a programme of work a St George’s hospital to reduce energy consumption by 39%; retrofitting 30 civic buildings in Croydon; and the installation of low-carbon heat and cooling across the Tate’s London estate.