“Our new home makes a difference to our family’s life” 

Families moving into our innovative new homes in Bridgend say there are many things that will make a difference to their lives – especially the lower bills.

The development of 14 eco homes have been designed to use the latest technologies so that the homes will be able to generate their own electricity to run the heating and appliances and save money for residents through lower energy bills.

The houses and apartments are the first of their kind for social rent in Bridgend County Borough Council and have been part funded under the Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme to develop ways to meet the WG’s zero-carbon target for homes for 2050.

Sian Lewis and her partner Alex are already seeing the benefits of their new home on their special family.
Their six-year-old daughter Olivia was born with rare genetic condition called DDX3X Syndrome that affects her learning and development. She attends a special school and will need lifelong care. As a result, Sian and Alex had to give up their full-time careers to care for Olivia and have waited several years for a home that meets their daughter’s needs.

The family were one of the first to move in in January 2021.

Sian, 38, says: “It’s an amazing opportunity to live in a home that will significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

“Being a special family, we didn’t just want to move to a larger house with more space for Olivia’s needs. There are so many things about our new home that will make a difference to all our family’s life.”
Resident Sian Lewis 

“The energy-saving technology is amazing. We were paying £140 a month for energy in our old home, which is a good chunk of our monthly income, so we are looking forward to lower energy bills.

“Olivia is likely to be in nappies for the rest of her life and our washer and two dryers are always on so the chance to reduce our impact on the environment is really appealing. We want to protect our children’s planet.”