The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) allocated £75.5 million of grant funding under Wave 2.2 in April 2024, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero1. The allocation builds on the funding made under the previous Wave 2.1, which was allocated £778 million of government funding in March 20231.
The fund applies to England and is aimed at local authorities and social housing landlords, supporting the installation of energy performance measures in social homes1. Its stated purpose is to upgrade social housing stock currently below Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C up to that standard, and to facilitate the subsequent widespread adoption of decarbonised heating systems1. The department lists its aims as delivering warm, energy efficient homes, reducing carbon emissions, tackling fuel poverty, supporting green jobs, developing the retrofit sector, and improving the comfort, health and well-being of social housing tenants1.
The fund ran across several waves. Wave 1 awarded around £179 million of funding for delivery from 2022 to 2023, and saw energy performance improvements in up to 20,000 social housing properties1. The SHDF Demonstrator awarded around £60 million of funding and saw up to 2,000 homes improved to at least EPC band C, with over 1,000 local jobs supported1. Wave 2.1 will see proposed energy performance improvements to around 90,000 social homes1.
"Wave 2.2, allocated £75.5 million of grant funding in April 2024, building on the allocations made under the previous Wave 2.1."
| Wave | Funding | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Demonstrator | Around £60 million | March 2021 |
| Wave 1 | Around £179 million | October 2021 |
| Wave 2.1 | £778 million | March 2023 |
| Wave 2.2 | £75.5 million | April 2024 |
The collection page states that it was withdrawn on 23 September 2024, and that the fund can no longer be applied for1. It has been replaced by the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund1. The page does not report how many homes Wave 2.2 is expected to improve, or how the £75.5 million is distributed between landlords.
Why it matters for households
The SHDF is not a scheme that individual owner-occupiers or private tenants can apply to. It is directed at local authorities and social housing landlords, so its effect on a household depends on whether that household rents a social home that was included in a successful bid1. For those homes, the funding is intended to raise energy performance to at least EPC band C, which bears directly on how much heat a property loses and therefore on running costs and comfort1. The department also frames the work as preparation for the later adoption of decarbonised heating systems, meaning the fabric of a home is improved before any change of heating technology1.
For households outside social housing, the practical relevance is indirect. The scheme's existence signals where public retrofit funding has been concentrated, and the withdrawal of the collection page confirms that this particular route is closed to new applications1. Households in social housing who want to know whether their home was covered would need to ask their landlord, as the collection page does not list individual properties.
What happens next
The SHDF has been replaced by the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, which the department names as the successor scheme1. The SHDF collection page was withdrawn on 23 September 20241. No further waves of the SHDF have been reported. Households comparing the support available to social housing with the support available to other tenures can read the site's guide to home energy grants and schemes in the UK, and those weighing whether social housing can use the Boiler Upgrade Scheme can read that guide at Boiler Upgrade Scheme grants for social housing.