A NORTH-EAST housing association is celebrating being named the best in the region for energy efficiency.

North Star won the Housing Association of the Year title at the North East Energy Efficiency Awards in Durham City.

The housing provider was also highly commended in two other categories – Small Project of the Year, and Large Scale Project of the Year.

Chris Harris, Asset Manager for North Star, said: “The importance of energy efficiency to every one of us is clear to see, so we are delighted to be the housing association that’s leading the way in the North-East.

“The award is a source of great pride but we are well aware that this has to be a long-term commitment, so the intention is to go on learning and improving, and not rest on our laurels.”

North Star won the Housing Association of the Year title because of its overall approach to energy efficiency and supporting tenants in saving energy.

The high commendation in the Small Project of the Year was in recognition of North Star’s trial in using a Victorian terraced house in Middlesbrough as a model for net zero technology not used before in a domestic dwelling.

The Large Scale Project high commendation was for a project – managed by Align Property Partners (APP) – to fit new cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, and photovoltaics on 25 off-gas properties in Teesdale.

Looking to the future, North Star has already expressed an interest to the Tees Valley Combined Authority in being involved in round three of the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

“The aim is to access more funding, so we can carry out more innovative work on energy efficiency into the future,” added Mr Harris.