Government announces funding for home efficiency upgrades

The government has announced funding of up to £1.5 billion for social housing and low-income properties in England to receive energy efficiency upgrades.

The Help to Heat funding will be available to around 130,000 low-income households, with up to £1.5 billion of funding being made available through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Home Upgrade Grant schemes.

Social housing providers and local authorities will be able to submit bids for funding to upgrade properties.

The funding can be spent on measures including external wall and loft insulation, energy efficient doors and windows, heat pumps and solar panels.

It is expected that the upgrades could save households around £400 to £700 a year on energy bills and the funding could support around 19,000 jobs in the green energy sector.
 
The upgrades will be delivered from early 2023 to March 2025.

Minister for Business and Energy Lord Callanan said: "The cheapest form of energy is the energy we do not use. Our Help to Heat schemes are already bringing real benefits to tens of thousands of low-income households across the country by improving the energy performance of their homes and saving them hundreds of pounds on their bills."

Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, said: "The launch of the second wave of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is hugely welcome. This vital funding will enable housing associations across the country to make significant progress in retrofitting and decarbonising their homes – work that not only cuts carbon emissions but saves residents money on their heating bills.

"We know that England’s homes produce more carbon each year than the average annual use of the country’s cars, so decarbonising social homes has a pivotal role to play to meeting the country’s net zero target.

"The National Housing Federation and our members look forward to continuing to work with BEIS to demonstrate the benefits that decarbonising homes has on residents’ lives.

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