May 31, 2023

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

Home Upgrade Grant News Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

MPs welcome latest wave of energy efficiency funding


Parliament’s cross celebration environmental committee has claimed that incentives to encourage energy efficiency improvements in properties and non-domestic buildings ought to be a British isles coverage precedence

The chair of parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has welcomed the most up-to-date spherical of federal government funding to strengthen the electricity effectiveness of buildings.

MP Philip Dunne said the funding, which is getting delivered through a range of incentives these types of as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, House Upgrade Grant and Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, will have vital economic and environmental added benefits.

He stated: “Not only do electricity-inefficient households contribute hugely to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by leaking energy to the atmosphere, they also leak funds by way of highly-priced electricity expenses.”

The opinions have been made in reaction to the government’s statements that in excess of 115,000 structures in England would be obtaining funding to slice energy and heating desire.  A certain emphasis of the most current funding will go toward enhancing some of the country’s the very least energy economical structures.

Mr Dunne stated that representatives from the Section for Electrical power Stability and Web Zero had explained to the committee earlier this thirty day period that taxpayer funds was at present remaining used to go over 50 percent the expenses of a regular strength invoice across the state.  He stated that initiatives to reduce in general strength desire in houses need to consequently be witnessed as a vital plan precedence for the authorities.

Mr Dunne stated: “This is not a sustainable situation. Expense now in workable solutions, this sort of as energy efficiency steps, will participate in a big job in maintaining these fees down.”

News of the most current funding of incentives for domestic and public sector structures has cautiously been welcomed by a range of marketplace bodies symbolizing HVAC and creating engineering experts.

Chris Friedler, electricity effectiveness policy manager for the Affiliation of Decentralised Power (ADE), reported that a lot more do the job was now desired to develop the uptake of electrical power performance strategies becoming supplied by the federal government.

Mr Friedler mentioned: “We are happy to see the authorities producing progress on funding the power performance schemes outlined in their manifesto. Having said that, present-day uptake of the HUG and SHDF schemes are lower and very well behind target, and the focus now should be on marketplace engagement to lower obstacles keeping again progress.”

BESA additional that the availability of the upcoming stages of general public sector funding on vitality effectiveness represented a “sizeable financial commitment” in efficiency measures such as new home windows, doors and draft proofing. The funds will also be utilised to include the prices of setting up heat pumps and photo voltaic panels.

BESA technical director Graeme Fox mentioned these enhancements could drastically strengthen setting up performance.  Having said that, he mentioned that these identical actions will have to be maintained in the very long-time period.

Mr Fox mentioned: “It is not adequate to have out one-off installations. We have to glimpse at how any retrofit steps are managed and serviced during their lifetime, so they carry on to meet their potential for extensive-phrase electrical power and carbon savings.”

“This will also require a big step up of financial commitment in teaching and recruitment to make sure we have a suitably proficient workforce capable of using on this substantial problem.”



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By nigemord@gmail.com / March 24, 2023
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero heat pumps Home Upgrade Grant insulation News Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund The Riverside Group

Latest efficiency funding wave targets improvements in 115,000 homes


Properties across England that are deemed as some of the least strength productive are predicted to be between recipients of most current round of resources for insulation and heat pumps installations

The government claims much more than 115,000 homes in England are established to obtain power efficiency updates as a result of the most current round of funding incentives offered from April.

More than £2bn in cash will be supplied as a result of initiatives these as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Property Improve Grant and Public Sector Decarbonisation Plan over the training course of the following two yrs. This advancement work is expected to emphasis significantly on the most inefficient buildings in the country.

In a statement, the Section for Vitality Protection and Internet Zero stated that £1.4bn in combined funds as a result of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and House Improve Grant would be offered to deal with the expenditures of measures such as new home windows and loft insulation.

A further £1.1bn will be offered by way of neighborhood authorities, social housing companies and charities. This funds will be made use of to make sure that reduced income residences and properties off the fuel-grid, with an Electricity Functionality Certification (EPC) score of D or under can cut down their demand for ability and heating.

It is estimated by the government that these structures could see reductions of involving £220 and £400 a 12 months on their heating expenditures via the planned improvements.

Exterior wall, cavity wall and loft insulation, along with doorways and draft proofing options will be among the steps to acquire funding by way of the programme.  The set up of warmth pumps and some solar panels technologies will also be funded, the authorities additional..

The incentives are determined as an significant driver to guarantee governing administration targets to make sure a 15 for every cent reduction in energy need across the United kingdom by 2030 are fulfilled.  The emissions reduction targets are based on 2021 stages of countrywide vitality desire and had been announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in November.

Emma Pinchbeck, main executive of the Power Uk trade entire body, said efforts to boost the efficiency of Uk properties was the very best way to lessen energy need and reduce emissions for function this kind of as heating.

She claimed: “Today’s announcement will rightly prioritise people who will need support the most like small- revenue households, social housing and general public structures.”

“Industry will do the job with govt to build on these important schemes and to clear away any limitations that avoid homes and businesses from conserving income on their bills by lowering warmth decline and conserving electrical power.”

The Sustainable Energy Affiliation (SEA) reported that the announcement of the newest wave of funding by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and the Residence Update Grant techniques were urgently necessary.

Jade Lewis, main govt with the SEA, explained on social media that the techniques would provide to assist some of the houses that were being most in require of cuttin heating expenses.

She said: “The SEA believes that electrical power effectiveness is the most efficient suggests to give extensive-expression safety in opposition to long run energy monthly bill rises and extending set up techniques like this can help provide sector with enhanced assurance to commit in the competencies and potential necessary.”

Among the organisations to get money in the most recent spherical of funding is social housing company the Riverside Group.

The Riverside Team main government Carol Matthews reported that just beneath £12.7m would be gained from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to support strengthen the efficiency of its houses.

She explained: “Riverside will be match funding and investing £15 million as component of our retrofitting and web zero commitments. We are on the lookout ahead to doing the job with the government to make improvements to above 1,100 residences and the lives of our inhabitants living in them.”





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By nigemord@gmail.com / March 23, 2023
gemserv heat policy James Higgins Jeremy Hunt Kwasi Kwarteng News Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

Interesting times for heat policy and politics


Gemserv Reduced Carbon’s James Higgins considers what the HVAC sector ought to make of the speedily shifting political landscape

Maintaining up with political gatherings has been challenging recently. At the time this piece was published, Kwasi Kwarteng experienced just been replaced as chancellor by Jeremy Hunt.  While Jeremy Hunt has because remained in location, he now serves a new prime minister.

The now notorious mini-spending plan of 23 September produced headlines and economic industry turmoil thanks to its supposedly unfunded investing commitments. Nonetheless despite the substantial discussion in excess of alterations to profits and company tax, quite minimal of the discussion has settled on what is in fact the most pricey component of assist within just the previous chancellor’s package of measures – the electricity value freeze for houses and businesses.

The energy value freeze is pretty critical for folks across the British isles. For these struggling with a decision among heating and ingesting this winter, it truly could be a lifesaver. Despite the political turmoil, I can say with relative certainty that in the limited time period, no chancellor is probably to reverse this assistance for those in gas poverty this winter – what ever their political persuasion.

Also provided inside of the Treasury’s Development Prepare there had been some other measures which influence on warmth and power performance. For example, details have now emerged about guidance for company and for customers off-the fuel grid and on warmth networks. In both of those conditions, guidance is only confirmed for 6 months, so further developments are very likely.

Lots of known as for the rate aid to be accompanied by financial commitment in power effectiveness – and the development prepare partly shipped on this. Exclusively, Mr Kwarteng included an more £1bn of funding for household vitality performance, to be delivered in excess of a few several years from April 2023. It is expected this fund, identified at the moment as ECO+ will be created readily available to ready to fork out households by way of the Electrical power Organization Obligation. However, the details of this are however to be labored out.

BEIS has also released a new phase of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, with £800m, alongside further more guidance getting allotted to the Home Up grade Grant plan. This will be utilised to guidance neighborhood authorities, social housing suppliers, or household companies, with the upgrading of their housing inventory.

Via SHDF apps and project proposals, landlords are concentrating on the installation of fabric measures, in line with Standard Evaluation Process tips, which includes cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation and other qualifying insulation actions. These actions will be utilized to try and get attributes up to an Strength General performance Certification (EPC) band C. This is welcome news for occupants and for field as it presents substantially-essential activity to permanently decrease vitality intake.

On heat decarbonisation, I have been following the Boiler Improve Scheme (BUS) with desire. The scheme which offers grants for installation of lower carbon heating units has been developed to assistance up to 90,000 heating devices about a three-yr period. In accordance to the newest general public statistics, because its launch at the close of Might to the end of August, there have been 5,728 programs. Of these, 1,822 vouchers have been paid, so not a negative start out inside the to start with 3 months, but there is plainly a lot of headroom for the future.

I am a glass half-complete human being by nature, but a cursory look at the information about the condition of the govt and the broader economy would be plenty of to fill even the most assured businessperson with trepidation. This is specifically so in a sector this sort of as heating, which is closely impacted by the competency and motivation of policymakers.

Even so, there are elements of opportunity for the business in some of the bulletins described previously mentioned, and these, along with a growing desire and curiosity from consumers, do present causes to maintain faith and keep self confidence for the chilly months in advance.

James Higgins creates a monthly column on policy for H&V Information. You can go through the most up-to-date problem online in this article.



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By nigemord@gmail.com / November 1, 2022
ground source heat pumps Heat Pump Insight News Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund storage heater replacement Thurrock Council tower blocks

Thurrock Council commences high rise heat pump installation project


A challenge to install hundreds of ground source warmth pumps in three tower blocks in England is between the very first wave of recipients of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

Work has commenced this thirty day period to replace 273 storage heaters with ground supply warmth pumps across 3 tower blocks in Thurrock, Essex.

Thurrock Council has partnered with Kensa Contracting on the job that aims to decrease gas charges for occupants by installing lessen carbon heating answers. Each individual heat pump made use of in the task will be related to shared floor loops that can serve as a one source of warmth for a number of houses.  Perform to put in the warmth pumps is scheduled to be accomplished by Spring 2023.

Kensa Contracting explained the challenge was the biggest storage heat alternative for tower blocks that it had been involved with so much. It also marks its very first ground source heat pump project to get grant funding via the United kingdom Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).  A grant of £3.2m will be supplied to the undertaking as part of the 1st wave of funding to appear from the SHDF.

An approximated 70 for every cent reduction in carbon emissions is expected to be shipped through the project in comparison to the past storage hater method. These complete discounts are envisioned to total to 7,080 tonnes of CO2 above the lifecycle of the installation, the challenge leaders extra.

Councillor Luke Spillman, Thurrock’s Cabinet Member for Housing, claimed the provision of income by way of the SHDF would aid a “first of its kind” reduced carbon warmth task for the neighborhood authority.

He mentioned, “The old storage radiators and warm drinking water devices in each individual of the 273 flats will be changed with a appreciably improved, cost-powerful and greener remedy.”

“This is fantastic news for our people, and I would like to thank the authorities for awarding this funding and assisting us better assist our people and deal with fuel poverty by driving down fuel charges and trying to keep our houses hotter and greener.”

Dr Stuart Gadsden, business director with Kensa Contracting, claimed the partnership with Thurrock Council confirmed the probable for massive-sale tasks to develop warmth pump adoption in line with authorities targets.

He claimed, “More than 80 for each cent of British isles houses will continue to be in use in 2050, so it is clear that present buildings will have to go through important advancements/ deep retrofitting to meet the obstacle of decarbonisation.”

“Ground Supply Heat Pumps on Shared Ground Loops are proven to provide the lowest carbon, lowest running expenses and lowest complete existence price tag solution, in particular for heating substantial rise developments. These programs help housing providers reduced their environmental affect and long run-evidence their assets, although preserving their tenants from gasoline poverty.”

A second wave of the SHDF is predicted to open for apps by September this yr. The programme will provide funding for social housing companies to introduce reduce carbon heat systems or supplies that can strengthen the electrical power performance of their properties. The scope of the funding will include things like ground supply warmth pumps, with providers this sort of as Kensa Contracting now offering feasibility scientific tests to assistance authorities search at the circumstance for employing these types of methods.



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By nigemord@gmail.com / July 19, 2022
£3.9bn £67m Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan energy efficiency Home Upgrade Grant low-income homes News retrofit Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

£67m set aside for first wave of Home Upgrade Grant


Initial wave of Residence Enhance Grant will intention to incentivise electricity performance improvements in off-grid households across England with an EPC rating of between D and G

The federal government will be delivering £67m in funding to enhance the electrical power effectiveness of up to 4,300 low-money residences in England there are not on the gas grid.

Community authorities across the state will be offered regional shares of the cash that marks the 1st wave of funding under the £950m Home Up grade Grant (HUG). This is a plan intended to control heating demand in homes that are reliant on bottled gas and oil.

A selection of efficiency steps are to be lined under the HUG programme that will be open to homes with Strength Efficiency Certification (EPC) ratings of in between D and G.

These actions include small-carbon heating devices, wall and roof insulation, thermostats and area heating controls.

All do the job to be included beneath this initial wave pf funding is predicted to be finished by 2023, according to the government.

The planned upgrades will be employed to reduce heating expenses for reduced-earnings people today presently dwelling in personal housing and off the gas grid.   The announcement of the funding will come amidst a important hike in the expense of heating properties predicted from April this yr because of to a increase in the electrical power cost cap threshold to match improved global selling prices for gasoline.

Company and Energy Minister Lord Callanan said the initial wave of HUG cash would aim to help save 1000’s of households that are susceptible to gasoline poverty as a lot as £200 a year on power bills.

“This is just the very first spherical of the £950 million funding we have fully commited around the upcoming 3 many years and will make certain we support those most in want. It will preserve a lot more dollars in people’s pockets, at the identical time as earning residences warmer, more comfortable and greener.”

Efficiency funding

It was declared before this thirty day period that 69 neighborhood authority social housing jobs across England would be sharing an first funding pot of £179m from the federal government to help energy performance enhancements as portion of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

Both of those the HUJ and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund are aspect of a broader £3.9bn approach to decarbonise warmth and structures. The funding is also supposed to aid the Boiler Update Plan and the Heat Networks Transformation Programme.

Even so, organisations these types of as the Federation of Learn Builders and the British isles Inexperienced Developing Council have in current months termed for increased commitments to guidance retrofit operate and strength effectiveness advancements in the UK’s housing inventory at a a great deal more substantial scale.



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By nigemord@gmail.com / February 21, 2022