Earlier this year, eight Southdown homes in Eastbourne had new solar panels, batteries and air source heat pumps installed. As a result, all eight homes have gone from a D energy performance rating to an A or B – helping to create warmer, more energy-efficient homes and reduce energy bills for the people living in them.

As a social housing provider, we are committed to investing in our homes to improve their comfort and energy performance for our tenants and to reduce our carbon footprint.

We adhere to the Decent Homes Standard which means that every tenant can expect to have a home that provides good thermal comfort and is energy efficient. We know that the cost-of-living crisis is affecting many people and that fuel poverty is rising across the country. As a landlord, we want to do as much as we can to support our tenants.

The government’s Net Zero policy states that all rented homes must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C or higher by October 2030. Currently, Southdown has a small number of homes that do not meet this rating and our Property Services team is working on improving their energy performance ratings.

Laura McKellar, Southdown’s Planned Maintenance Surveyor, has been leading a sustainability improvement project in Eastbourne for eight homes that we own, co-funded by the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Warm Homes Scheme.

Funding was first identified in 2023, and in 2025 the properties were surveyed by an Energy Assessor to calculate the most effective improvements that could be made. It was decided to replace the electric storage heaters and water heaters with solar panels and batteries, along with air source heat pumps.

Work began in January 2026 and throughout this period, Laura liaised with tenants and their families, contractors, the Energy Assessor and the Retrofit Coordinator. As a result of the improvements, all of the properties have increased from a D to an A or B energy performance rating.

These improvements will mean that tenants will see a reduction in their energy bills whilst also experiencing a warmer home as the air source heat pumps are designed to provide a constant heat output. The installation of the solar panel batteries mean that energy retrieved during daylight hours can be used in the evening and on overcast days.

Laura says, “It means a lot to me to be able to help people with rising energy costs and the general cost of living. You often hear the words “I can’t afford to heat my home”, but with the batteries storing free energy, this will help immensely. A resident has already told me how much warmer their home feels and that the radiators look nicer than the bulky storage heaters. It’s good to know that Southdown is doing its bit by reducing its carbon footprint and creating clean renewable energy.”

Our work doesn’t stop here. More tenants will experience the benefits of warmer homes during the colder months and cheaper bills as further projects are underway in Hove and Eastbourne.