About 20,000 social housing properties across England will receive energy efficiency upgrades as the UK government announces a £179 million cash boost funding for 69 projects which will help cut fuel bills for social housing tenants and deliver warmer homes.
According to reports, the upgrades will support around 9,000 green energy sector jobs and deliver emissions savings equivalent to taking up to 6,000 cars off the road in any given year. Upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of March 2023, supporting thousands of lower income and more vulnerable households.
National Housing Federation Chief Executive Kate Henderson said: “We warmly welcome the announcement of the first Social Housing Decarbonization Fund recipients. Alongside helping us to achieve our crucial net zero target, this will mean warmer, more comfortable homes for social housing residents, and importantly help to protect them from rising energy bills. Housing associations are committed to working with government to upgrade the nation’s social housing stock, and this fund will play a vital role in this.”
The cash boost forms part of the government’s £3.8 billion Social Housing Decarbonization Fund which will bring a significant amount of the social housing stock currently below EPC C up to a higher standard. It has already supported 2,100 households through a demonstrator scheme, delivering warmer homes, reducing fuel bills, tackling fuel poverty and supporting green jobs.
