£179 million of grant funding has been offered to 69 local authorities in England, to upgrade their social housing properties.

The 1st wave of the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) will aim to upgrade approximately 20,000 social housing properties which currently sit below Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C rating, between now and the 31st Jan 2023. The energy efficiency upgrades, will go some way in reducing fuel bills for tenants and delivering warmer, more efficient homes.

This marks just the first step in the government’s commitment to deliver £3.8 billion worth of funding (over a 10 year period) to improve socially rented homes.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) previously launched a pilot of the SHDF early last year. The demonstrator aimed to improve 2,100 social homes to EPC band C, through a whole house approach. This was considered to be a success, and showed  how social housing could be retrofitted at scale.

Opportunity for Retrofit Assessors and Retrofit Coordinators

Retrofit professionals could be getting a little busier over the next few months, as the projects delivered as a result of this funding must be compliant with PAS 2035. This triggers the requirement for a TrustMark Approved Retrofit Assessor and Retrofit Coordinator, who can ensure that these projects are compliant. If a local authority hasn’t already procured the services of a retrofit professional, they may well begin searching for suppliers, and advertising opportunities (Elmhurst will endeavour to share these with members).

Local Authorities- Where can I find Retrofit Professionals?

Elmhurst has an industry leading search for assessor facility available, which local authorities can use to find a local TrustMark Approved Retrofit Assessor or Retrofit Coordinator.

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 1:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-decarbonisation-fund-wave-1-successful-bids