Cyngor Sir Powys a Cymru Gynnes – mesurau wedi’u targedu ar draws y sir ar eiddo â sgoriau Tystysgrif Perfformiad Ynni G, F ac E

Ym mis Medi 2022, cyflwynodd Cyngor Sir Powys eu cais i Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer Rhaglen Ôl-osod er mwyn Optimeiddio 3. Hyd at yr amser hwn, nid oedd Cyngor Sir Powys wedi cymryd rhan yn y rhaglen, sy’n ariannu mesurau arbed carbon ar gyfer ôl-osod ei stoc tai cymdeithasol. Y briff mewnol gan yr uwch-reolwyr oedd mynd i’r afael â’r ‘gwaethaf yn gyntaf’ o safbwynt Tystysgrifau Perfformiad Ynni, h.y. eiddo gyda sgoriau G, F ac E, a gwneud y mwyaf o gyfleoedd ariannu i ddarparu’r canlyniad gorau posibl. Y bwriad oedd mynd i’r afael â chymaint o eiddo â phosibl, gan godi safonau tuag at dargedau carbon ‘sero net’ fel y nodir yn fersiwn ddrafft ‘Safon Ansawdd Tai Cymru 2’. Y nod oedd cyflawni’r nod hwn gan ddefnyddio cyllid Rhaglen Ôl-osod er mwyn Optimeiddio 3 ac ECO4 heb unrhyw gost i’r Cyfrif Refeniw Tai. Aeth tîm y prosiect ati i ddatblygu’r cais gan ddefnyddio partneriaethau presennol a allai gefnogi cyflawni’r prosiect. Mae gan Gyngor Sir Powys berthynas hirsefydlog gyda’r cwmni buddiant cymunedol tlodi tanwydd Cymru Gynnes. Trwy gytundeb lefel gwasanaeth, mae Cymru Gynnes yn cefnogi darparu grantiau ‘rhwymedigaeth cwmni ynni’ i’r sector preifat. Yn yr un modd, mae Cyngor Sir Powys wedi gweithio gyda Chronfa Bancio Cymunedol Robert Owen am fwy na deng mlynedd i ddarparu benthyciadau di-log ar gyfer adnewyddu eiddo yn y sector preifat a bwriad briff y prosiect a gyflwynwyd oedd ehangu’r rhaglen ar gyfer yr holl sectorau tai i osgoi ffocws ar dai cymdeithasol yn unig. Ochr yn ochr â’r ddau sefydliad, datblygodd Cyngor Sir Powys ei gais am arian Rhaglen Ôl-osod er mwyn Optimeiddio 3.1 trwy gyfuno hyn ag ECO4 a’r chronfa’r argyfwng costau byw, sef dyfarniad grant untro gan Gyngor Sir Powys. Penderfynwyd canolbwyntio ar ymagwedd gwneuthuriad yn gyntaf ac yna gwresogi carbon isel, cynhyrchu ynni a storio ynni. Roedd mynd i’r afael ag eiddo â’r sgoriau Tystysgrif Perfformiad Ynni isaf hefyd wedi denu uchafswm cyllid ECO4. Amcangyfrifwyd y byddai gwariant nodweddiadol fesul eiddo yn tua £30,700 ar gyfartaledd. Yn seiliedig ar y dyraniad grant inni o dan Raglen Ôl-osod er mwyn Optimeiddio 3 a chyllid atodol, rhagwelwyd ôl-osod 64 eiddo yn ystod 2022/23 i gael Tystysgrif Perfformiad Ynni A (neu mor agos â phosibl) allan o’r 394 o gartrefi cymdeithasol â sgoriau E, F ac G a oedd yn eiddo i Gyngor Sir Powys. Ar 1 Chwefror 2023, derbyniodd Cyngor Sir Powys lythyr dyfarnu, amodau grant a dyddiad cau ar gyfer hawlio gan Lywodraeth Cymru, sef 28 Chwefror. Yn gynharach, ar 16 Rhagfyr, nododd Llywodraeth Cymru y byddai’r grant yn cael ei ddyfarnu mewn egwyddor yn amodol ar dderbyn telerau a derbyn dogfennau wedi’u llofnodi. Gyda’r sicrwydd hwn yn ei le, drwy gydol gweddill mis Rhagfyr ac i mewn i fis Ionawr, cysylltodd Cyngor Sir Powys gyda thenantiaid pob un o’r eiddo a gyflwynwyd yn y cais yn gyntaf i fesur diddordeb, yna dilynwyd hyn gyda llythyr yn egluro manylion ariannu, y mesurau tebygol a fyddai’n cael eu hystyried, a’r amserlen cyflenwi. Yn dilyn dyfarnu’r grant ym mis Chwefror 2023, ymunodd aelodau eraill yn yr adran tai â thîm y prosiect. Oherwydd yr amserlenni tynn (28 diwrnod) i gyflawni’r prosiect, estynnodd Llywodraeth Cymru y dyddiad cau ar gyfer hawlio grant i 28 Mawrth 2023. Ar 28 Mawrth 2023, cyflwynodd Cyngor Sir Powys hawliad i Lywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer Rhaglen Ôl-osod er mwyn Optimeiddio 3.1. Roedd yr hawliad yn edrych yn dra gwahanol i’r cais am grant oherwydd nifer o ffactorau a drafodir isod. Fodd bynnag, yn ei hanfod roedd y cyflwyniad ar gyfer 48 eiddo. Roedd yr hawliad grant yn cynnwys cymysgedd o hawliadau llai o dan Raglen Ôl-osod er mwyn Optimeiddio 3.1, ECO4-Flex a chyllid ‘dadleoli’, lle roedd Powys yn gallu hawlio am waith arbed ynni a gwblhawyd eisoes o fewn yr un flwyddyn ariannol honno. Fodd bynnag, ni allai gynnwys unrhyw waith cynnal a chadw ymatebol a oedd hefyd yn gwella effeithlonrwydd ynni.

Heriau:

What didn’t go so well: • Due to the timescales the Council could not allocate sufficient resources to development of the funding bid and plan the project with particular focus on the data available from the Councils asset management system. Consequently, there were issues when cross referencing of data with the Councils asset management system. This meant that a significant number of properties from the grant submission list were ineligible and had to be removed from the project. • During initial tenant engagement, we had significant ‘rejections of measures’ from residents resulting in their removal from the original grant submission list. • Consequently, a secondary property list was drafted targeting properties where low carbon heating (heat-pumps) had been installed but were now over 10-years old. Many tenants had complained regarding high energy bills, so a decision was made to target those properties by installing solar PV and smart domestic battery storage. Unfortunately, during the middle of reassigning these properties, OFGEM (ECO4 scheme administrators) issued new guidance precluding funding of solar PV panels to off-gas-grid properties currently using heat pumps. PCC wrote to OFGEM to complain and ask for justification of this decision, but their decision remained unchanged. • Whilst most residents initially welcomed news of measures proposed, due to lack of resources, the timescales for claiming the grant the level of tenant engagement prior to undertaking works was insufficient, and consequently there were a number of complaints due to a lack of communication prior to installation of any measures. • To access ECO4 funding contractors must be PAS2030 registered and work to PAS2035:2019 standards. This means that as well as being registered with their trade certification scheme e.g. MCS, they are also required to be registered with UK governments TrustMark scheme. This greatly restricted contactors able to work on the scheme. • Only one of the contracting companies working with Warm Wales at that time were prepared to deviate from working with their ‘normal’ clients, i.e. the private sector, and switch to working on public sector properties. This was because ECO4 funding levels were significantly less in the public sector when compared with the private sector and the company were the only one available with a social housing ECO4 funding contract with an energy supplier already in place. • Predicting how much ECO4 funding would be available was limited to a ‘best guess’ as rates energy companies and their agents pay for measures fluctuate. PCC was not privy to rates being paid for measures, this information being commercially sensitive. • Smart domestic batteries require active home internet connectivity to operate. We had not envisaged attempting to work with properties where no internet connection was available (due to lack of infrastructure or signals), or resistance from tenants not wanting internet installation at their homes (where connections were possible), or where residents had internet connection but were reticent to allow a connection to it. • Due to tight timescales involved, communication and the sharing of key data between PCC, WW, contractors, and tenants was flawed, resulting in a further stream of complaints. Complaints were centred around broken appointment times, breaches in H&S, poor workmanship, untidiness, and clashes of personalities between those involved in scheme delivery. • The blending of ECO4 and ORP funding is an excellent idea however the administration and contractual arrangements for ECO4 are bespoke to the scheme, the Council is familiar with tendering and managing a contract to deliver specification requirements, the Council could not apply its customary contract management arrangements to ECO4 works as the works are funded and paid from a different source and managed by a different method. This did cause issues when dealing with ECO4 installers as there was no direct contract between the Council and Installers. What went well: • Given how under resourced and with an exceptionally small window of opportunity, PCC was still able to draw upon its existing SLA with WW to access their established relationships with energy companies (ECO4 funders). Their contractors already held the necessary PAS2030 and PAS2035 and measure specific certification body qualifications required to access and deliver ECO funded measures. Accordingly, Powys has benefited fully from a £1-million grant funded investment programme, maximised by third party funding via ECO4 and addressed some of its works housing stock. • With the withdrawal of funding for solar panels for off-gas properties with heat pumps partway through our project, our partners at WW negotiated with a funder to deliver PV in this situation via an ‘innovation measure’ option. This gave PCC the ability to complete those properties previously removed from the list due to the OFGEM decision. This demonstrated significant innovation, constantly developing the project to ‘fit in’ with often conflicting advice and guidance from OFGEM. • The total number of properties improved in ORP3.1 was 40. The average EPC rating had been raised from a low ‘D’ to an ‘A’ rating. However, this does not yet take account of the smart battery installations currently not recognised by SAP.