Oxford City Council’s cabinet has approved the overall direction of a five-year programme designed to improve the energy efficiency of the city’s 8,000 council-owned homes.
The Housing Revenue Account Property Retrofit and Sustainability Roadmap 2026-2031 targets warmer, more sustainable housing and lower heating costs.
Under the strategy, 95 per cent of the properties are expected to reach an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C by 2030.
That target reflects the government’s updated minimum efficiency standards for social housing.
Anna Railton, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for a zero carbon Oxford, said the roadmap would support warmer and healthier homes while reducing bills for tenants.
She also said investment in the council’s housing stock would advance environmental objectives and provide long-term improvements across the city’s properties.
A fabric-first strategy forms the core of the proposals.
Priority will be given to measures such as improved insulation, replacement windows and enhanced ventilation.
Low-carbon heating and renewable-energy options will also be considered as the council evaluates the next stage of the programme.
Detailed plans for delivery are still being prepared.
Oxford City Council intends to investigate opportunities for external funding and submit individual retrofit and improvement schemes for consideration through its established budget-setting and governance arrangements.
The council will assess delivery against the objective of raising the average EPC rating of its housing stock to C by 2030.
Better-insulated homes are also expected to lessen problems caused by damp and cold, with potential benefits for tenants’ health and wellbeing.