Extra £1.25bn boost for social housing contractors

Aaron Morby 1 year ago
Share

The industry has welcomed the government’s allocation of an extra £1.25bn to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

With match funding, the award will see around £2.5bn pumped into insulating or retrofitting 140,000 homes between 2025 and 2028.

Social housing contractors said the allocation provided all-important long-term certainty for businesses.

The Government announcement on how it intends to spend the £6bn first unveiled in 2022 Autumn spending statement, also saw an extra £1.5bn allocated to fund heat pump upgrades.

David Morgan, managing director of Wates Property Services said: “This is an important development that demonstrates the commitment Government has to improving the energy efficiency of social housing properties.

“Support like this is vital to our continued investment in innovation, skills, training and technology on the journey to net zero carbon.”

Derek Horrocks, chair of the National Home Decarbonisation Group, representing all the big social housing contractors, said: “This is something we called for and will give us that longer term to develop the area-based approach and use the economies of scale it affords.

“The past five years have seen more government investment in decarbonisation than ever before.

“Excellent progress has been made, with nearly 50% of properties in England now having an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of C – up from just 14% in 2010.

“The government has now committed to spend £12.6bn by 2028, a move that will genuinely make a difference to thousands.”

Breakdown of £6bn capital funding (2025 to 2028)


  • Boiler Upgrade Scheme, extra £1.5bn to support move to energy efficient, low-carbon heat pumps
  • New £400m energy efficiency grant, launching in 2025, for households in England to make changes such as bigger radiators or better insulation
  • New local authority retrofit scheme, allocated £500m to support up to 60,000 low-income and cold homes, including those off the gas grid, with measures such as insulation
  • Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, allocated £1.25bn to support up to 140,000 social homes to be insulated or retrofitted
  • Green Heat Network Fund, allocated £485m to help up to 60,000 homes and buildings access affordable, low carbon heating through new heat networks
  • Heat Network Efficiency Scheme, allocated £45m to improve around 100 existing heat networks, in a move that will reduce bills and improve reliability
  • Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, allocated £225m, to help businesses transition to a low-carbon future

Latest news

Bid race begins for £1bn concrete road replacement deal

National Highways invites bids for Legacy Concrete Roads Reconstruction framework
5 hours ago

Groundworks specialist Kaybridge faces liquidation

£30m turnover contractor has been in business since 1972
6 hours ago

“Cynical” legal bids to block infrastructure neutered

Government backs "builders over blockers" to speed up construction
5 hours ago

Watkin Jones returns to trading profit

Strong ongoing demand for student room supports work pipeline
5 hours ago

Social housing firm Fortem targets £300m turnover

Three-year plan to raise revenue by 50%
6 hours ago

£150m Bristol student scheme approved

B&K tipped for 530-bed Temple Quarter scheme
6 hours ago

Falco electric digger trial could lead to £6m fleet-swap

Utility contractor using new Takeuchi machines on UK Power Networks sites
5 hours ago

Council pulls £274m road scheme over bats row

Ferrovial stood down after £56m spent on Norwich Western Link
1 day ago

£500m house building framework opens for bids

17 firms face fight to retain places on north west housing consortium list
1 day ago

Government faces £49bn estate maintenance backlog

Spending watchdog calls for urgent action to save crumbling public estate
1 day ago

Sellafield awards £95m industrial services framework

Kaeffer seals new access, asbestos and insulation deal
1 day ago

HG Construction names new MD

Greg Purkiss appointment completes corporate restructure
1 day ago

Plasterer in court for Covid loan fraud

Fraudster spent £50,000 Bounce Back loan on gambling, groceries and fantasy football
1 day ago

Industry’s best construction managers revealed

Full shortlist for CIOB Construction Manager of the Year award
2 days ago

Steeplejack dies after 60 metre church fall

Specialist contractor, which has ceased trading since accident, fined £60,000
1 day ago

Government to signal backing for London airports expansion

Chancellor growth plan speech to give nod to Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton plans
2 days ago

Hospital building plan extended by a decade – full list

All planned projects retained with fresh start dates for industry certainty
2 days ago

Kier launches £20m share buyback as debt cut

Steady first-half trading shrinks average month end debt to £38m from £137m
2 days ago

Plans unveiled for £365m Heathrow data centre

Distribution centre developer moves into data centre market
2 days ago

Plan for 6.5m sq ft Greater Manchester industrial zone

Russell LDP and Harworth to submit ambitious Northern Gateway plan this Spring
2 days ago

Building boss sold diggers still on HP

Court hears how building director sold rented machines to fund sports car and gambling habit
3 days ago

Wates names new hard FM chief

Jack Prady joins from Thermic Technical FM
3 days ago

Council steps-in at sites where developer failed

First Endeavour LLP went under while building new homes across Fife
3 days ago

Mace confirmed for £93m weather centre HQ

Work to start on weather scientist hub at University of Reading
3 days ago

Council starts £200m hunt to replace Balfour Beatty

Tender race begins after Herefordshire Council parts ways with contractor
3 days ago

St William gets go-ahead for 245-home Stratford scheme

Planning approved for Stratford Gasworks regeneration
3 days ago

Balfour Beatty to sell Omnicom to Hitachi Rail

Digital rail monitoring business employs over 100 engineers
3 days ago

Van Elle partners with Wood on power transmission jobs

Ground investigation and piling deal worth over £30m
3 days ago

Former Balfour regional MD dies before taking up new role

Lindsay McGibbon struck down by cancer
6 days ago

One of Wales’ oldest contractors delivers record profit

Andrew Scott chairman says clients are now looking beyond lowest bids for jobs
6 days ago

Contractor services