Rebadged Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to re-open for applications next week

The Chartered Institute of Housing has welcomed the government’s announcement that the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund, formerly known as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, will reopen next week for its third wave of applications.

The fund provides grants to improve the energy performance of social housing, through the installation of energy efficiency measures and low carbon technologies. The previous government announced £1.25bn would be available through the fund between 2025 and 2028. 

Applications for the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund will open on 30 September 2024.

The funding is currently being allocated in a number of waves, with bidding competitions and short deadlines within which providers have to spend the money.

Wave 1 saw £179m allocated for 69 projects, while Wave 2 has seen £778m allocated with funds required in most circumstances to be spent by March 2025. A top-up £80m Wave 2.2 also has a deadline of March 2025.

In addition, the government said it will open a consultation on proposals for both private and social rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or equivalent by 2030. 

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Currently, private rented homes can be rented out if they meet EPC E, and social rented homes are not required to meet any minimum energy efficiency standard.

Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for energy consumers, confirmed that the fund established by the Conservative government would remain in place during the Chartered Institute of Housing and National Housing Federation’s conference, The Housing Community Summit, held earlier this month.

The government also announced that it will shortly launch a consultation with proposals to improve the accuracy and reliability of energy performance certificates.

Rachael Williamson, head of policy and external affairs at Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “Warm, safe homes are one of the building blocks of health and wellbeing, but some homes are still too difficult to keep warm in the winter.”

She said it is “hugely welcome” that the government has confirmed that these retrofit schemes will continue, adding that it is something that the CIH called for in its budget submission. 

Williamson added: “The funding will enable social housing providers to continue their work tackling fuel poverty, and some small tweaks made to the schemes, especially to the grant funding profile in the Social Housing Fund, will help to accelerate delivery in the coming years.”

“CIH has also long called for the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards in the rented sectors, especially in the private rented sector, where residents are too often exposed to unaffordable energy bills. 

“We look forward to responding to the consultation, and working with our members to ensure the proposals provide a strong regulatory framework for eliminating fuel poverty.”