PA Housing has been granted £1.1 million by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to improve the energy performance of 100 homes for its customers.
The housing association applied for the second wave of funding from DESNZ’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) at the end of 2022. 100 homes in the inner-city area of Leicester will be upgraded to the minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) standard of Band C.
Donna Brace, Head of Asset Management at PA Housing, explained what the funding means to the housing association.
“We’re delighted our SHDF bid was successful, and we can get to work improving the comfort, health and wellbeing of our customers in some of the lowest energy-performing homes in Leicester.
“The SHDF grant forms part of a larger figure of £3.4 million which we have set aside for the improvement of our homes, in what is our first retrofit programme.”
Donna Brace
The SHDF requirements state recipients of the grant must use the money to improve the energy efficiency of existing social housing within two years. Donna added:
“Our retrofitting programme will see various measures installed including external wall insulation, internal wall insulation, loft insulation and smart heating controls. These will help to bring the properties to an EPC band C level by 2030.”
Donna Brace
“This investment will help thousands of households to heat their homes for less, keep them warm for longer and could save hundreds on their annual energy bill.
“The green energy sector is growing, and this funding will support green jobs and provide the training needed to deliver these vital upgrades to homes.”
Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance
The 2019 Conservative Manifesto committed to a £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund over a 10-year period to improve the energy performance of social rented homes, on the pathway to Net Zero 2050. The SHDF is being rolled out in waves with the second wave totalling £778 million.
