By CATRIONA STEWART

CHARITY bosses behind a project making "life-changing" improvements to Govanhill tenements hope they can set an example to authorities.

South Seeds has been fitting energy saving devices, including new double glazing, to homes in the deprived south side community.

The six month scheme has resulted in families reporting reduced energy bills, warmer rooms, safer homes and better health.

Now the Existing Homes Alliance, a coalition of housing, environmental, fuel poverty and industry groups, says the project should be an example for national funding and policy changes.

Lori McElroy, chairwoman of the Existing Homes Alliance, said: "The benefits of energy efficiency work is best seen in the real improvements it brings to people's lives, important as national statistics are.

"The kind of work South Seeds has been doing with tenement windows may seem less glamorous than other big-ticket infrastructure projects, but the real practical benefits it brings for individuals and households are transformative and inspirational.

"We believe this year's funding for energy efficiency needs to be increased to £190million if Ministers want to ensure that every home in Scotland, including tenement properties, is up to the standards that everyone should be able to expect in the 21st century.

"This kind of ambitious multi-year project could put an end to the kind of unacceptable living conditions we know people are still putting up with."

Grandfather Raymond Murphy, who has lived in his Govanhill flat for 30 years, had been dealing with condensation bad enough that it damaged his floors.

His property was freezing in winter and ice would form on the window sills.

South Seeds provided him with new windows and now Raymond says he is healthier and has more money to spend now his fuel bills have gone down.

He said: "What a difference it’s made.

"There’s no condensation, so no towels under windows or listening to the ‘drip drip drip’ as the water hit the floor, and no mopping up puddles or emptying basins."

"I don’t get ill all the time and enjoy coming home to a warm house instead of a freezer. And the best thing is the noise. It’s so quiet.

"I’m on the ground floor so the windows make a huge difference.You can hardly hear anything at all."

South Seeds used money generated by consumer redress from energy companies to carry out the six month project.

Of tenements across Scotland, half still fall below the EPC Band C status that the Alliance argues all Scottish homes need to be by 2025 to meet both fuel poverty and climate change goals.

Tenement blocks make up a quarter of housing stock and, particularly in an area like Govanhill, can suffer from energy loss and dampness due to poor windows.

Casey Dickson, energy officer at South Seeds, said: "We found that there was a substantial need for help with energy efficiency across Govanhill's tenement stock.

"It's not just about cutting fuel bills or reducing damp, either: for many people it meant less disturbance from noise outside their flats, or an end to the fear that a child might fall from an insecure window.

"We hope this report will be of use both to policy-makers and to community projects across the country."

Mr Dickson said that rogue landlords in Govanhill cause problems by not maintaining properties.

In one case a private landlord approached by South Seeds regarding the window project tried to take credit for the completed work and said he would increase his tenants' rent.

He added: "In many cases the landlords are a barrier so it is not just about improving the energy efficiency of a home, it's about the family's overall situation."