The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced the successful projects for Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 and Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 on 23 March 2023, according to the update log on its Help to Heat collection page1. The same page records that both schemes had opened for applications on 29 September 20221. The announcement names no individual projects, funding totals or household numbers on that page; those details have not been reported there1.
Help to Heat is the government's umbrella for its household energy schemes, and the department states its purpose plainly: "The government is investing in Help to Heat schemes to make sure homes are warmer and cheaper to heat."1 It also notes that "This funding is not delivered directly by the government, but through installers, local authorities, energy companies and other bodies."1
The schemes sitting under that umbrella, as listed on the page, are:
| Scheme | Route | Stated purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler Upgrade Scheme | Installers | Grants to property owners for low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps1 |
| Warm Homes: Local Grant | Local authority | Energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating for low income households in England1 |
| Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund | Local authority | Upgrading social housing stock below EPC C up to that standard1 |
| Energy Company Obligation | Energy company | Requirement on suppliers to help households cut home heating costs by fitting energy-saving measures1 |
| Great British Insulation Scheme | Energy company | Insulating homes to make them more energy efficient and save money on bills1 |
The Home Upgrade Grant is the route for off-gas homes, covered in the site's guide to the Home Upgrade Grant. The social housing route overlaps with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme where a landlord or tenant is considering a heat pump, and the site sets out whether social housing can get Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants. For owner-occupiers, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and ECO4 remain the two main funded routes, and the site compares them in Boiler Upgrade Scheme vs ECO4.
Why it matters for households
Funding of this kind reaches a home only through a landlord, council, energy supplier or installer, not by application to central government1. For a social housing tenant, the practical effect of the 23 March 2023 announcement is that works may follow in their property, but the page states that "If your property is eligible, your social housing provider will contact you."1 There is no household application route for the social housing fund1.
For households in off-gas homes, the Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 announcement is the relevant one, since that scheme targets homes without a mains gas connection. The page does not set out eligibility criteria, grant amounts or measure lists for either scheme, so those have not been reported there1.
One caution appears on the page itself: "There are quality issues with some solid wall insulation fitted through government schemes."1 The department links to separate guidance on what to do if a household is concerned about solid wall insulation fitted through a government scheme1.
What happens next
The page records later milestones. The Warm Homes: Local Grant application route carries a date of 1 April 20251. Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 has been allocated £1.29 billion for the period 2025 to 2028, with successful social housing landlords including local authorities and housing associations published on 27 November 20251. The page gives no further dated steps for Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 or Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 beyond the 23 March 2023 announcement1.