300,000 households to benefit from home upgrades, says DESNZ

The government has said 300,000 households will benefit from home upgrades next year under its Warm Homes plan.

Energy efficiency

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero today announced homeowners will receive a £7,500 heat pump grant through a £30m extension to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

It has also announced that households will be able to install an air source heat pump without needing to submit a planning application in England.

In the Budget, the government confirmed an initial £3.4bn for the Warm Homes plan, including £1.8bn for fuel poverty schemes.

DESNZ said it will also consul on plans to increase energy efficiency standards for new boilers and heat pumps.

Meanwhile the deadline for social landlords to apply for the government’s current £1.2bn Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, formerly known as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, will close on Monday (25 November). Successful applications will be announced in early 2025 and organisations will have until 30 September 2028 to complete works.

Matthew Scott, policy and practice officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing said the Warm Homes Plan ”will significantly support the sector’s plans to tackle fuel poverty, while simultaneously cutting carbon emissions from our homes and boosting local supply chains.”