The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 and the Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 opened for applications on 29 September 2022, according to the update log on the government's Help to Heat collection page1. The same page records that successful projects under both schemes were announced on 23 March 20231.
The collection covers the government's Help to Heat schemes, which it describes as investment "to make sure homes are warmer and cheaper to heat"1. The schemes listed are the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the Warm Homes: Local Grant, the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, the Energy Company Obligation and the Great British Insulation Scheme1. Funding is not paid out directly by government: it is delivered "through installers, local authorities, energy companies and other bodies"1.
"The government is investing in Help to Heat schemes to make sure homes are warmer and cheaper to heat."
The page sets out how each route reaches households. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants to property owners for low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps1. The Warm Homes: Local Grant provides energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating to low income households in England1. The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund is intended to upgrade social housing stock currently below EPC C up to that standard, and its Wave 3 has been allocated £1.29 billion for the period 2025 to 20281. Under the Energy Company Obligation, suppliers are required to help households cut home heating costs by fitting energy-saving measures, though the page notes that suppliers offer different amounts of support and different types of improvements, so eligibility must be checked with the energy company1. The Great British Insulation Scheme is described as helping people insulate their homes, make them more energy efficient and save money on bills1.
The page also carries a caution that "there are quality issues with some solid wall insulation fitted through government schemes", and links to separate guidance on what to do if a householder is concerned about solid wall insulation fitted through a government scheme1. No funding totals for Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 or Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 have been reported on this page1.
| Scheme | Route to the household |
|---|---|
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | Grants to property owners for low carbon heating such as heat pumps1 |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | Energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating for low income households in England1 |
| Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund | Upgrading social housing stock below EPC C; Wave 3 allocated £1.29 billion for 2025 to 20281 |
| Energy Company Obligation | Energy suppliers fit energy-saving measures; support varies by supplier1 |
| Great British Insulation Scheme | Insulation to improve energy efficiency and cut bills1 |
Why it matters for households
The two schemes that opened in September 2022 sit on the social housing and local authority side of the grants and energy independence landscape rather than the owner-occupier side. Applications are made by social housing providers and local authorities, not by individual tenants: the page states that if a property is eligible, the social housing provider will contact the householder1. For a home's energy independence, that means the decision on whether a property receives insulation or low carbon heating under these routes rests with the landlord or council, while the household sees the result in the warmth and running cost of the home.
The collection as a whole shows the split in how support reaches homes. Owner-occupiers and private landlords deal with installers under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, while low income households in England go through their council, and others through their energy supplier under ECO4 or the Great British Insulation Scheme1. Because delivery runs through third parties, the measures a home can get, and when, depend on which body is administering the funding in that area.
What happens next
The page records that successful projects under Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 and Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 were announced on 23 March 20231. It also lists later dates: applications for the Warm Homes: Local Grant from 1 April 2025, and successful Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 landlords published on 27 November 20251.