The momentum towards net zero continues to build, and the upcoming SHDF Wave 3 is poised to be a significant driver of change in the social housing sector. At Building Energy Experts we are experienced at helping you to navigate the evolving landscape of sustainable housing with our retrofit assessments.
In this blog you’ll learn:
- What the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 3 is
- The key details of the funding
- Why proactive preparation is crucial for maximising the benefits
- How we can help you navigate SHDF Wave 3
- Resources to stay informed, including a timeline
What is SHDF Wave 3?
The UK is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, and the social housing sector plays a crucial role in this journey. Social housing makes up a significant portion of the UK’s housing stock, and improving its energy efficiency is essential to reducing carbon emissions and reaching our climate goals.
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), now renamed to the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, is a major government initiative designed to upgrade the energy performance of social housing. SHDF Wave 3 is set to be the biggest wave yet, with £1.25 billion available to support up to 140,000 social homes.
SHDF Wave 3 Key Details
The government recently published key details on Wave 3:
- Funding available: £1.2bn
- Target: Up to 140,000 social homes to be insulated or retrofitted
- Application Routes: Challenge Fund and Strategic Partnerships
- Eligibility: Local authorities, combined authorities, registered providers of social housing (including housing associations and arms-length management organisations (ALMOs) that are registered providers), registered charities that own social housing
- Property Eligibility: All existing social housing below EPC band C
- Minimum Application Size: 100 social housing properties at EPC band D-G (except for small social housing landlords)
Why Should You Prepare Now?
Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to start preparing and building partnerships now.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund: Wave 3 Notice
Proactive preparation for SHDF Wave 3 offers significant benefits for registered providers and local authorities managing social housing. Securing funding requires a strong application that demonstrates a clear understanding of your social housing stock’s current energy efficiency and identifies areas for improvement.
To ensure that your social housing stock is well-positioned to benefit from this upcoming wave of funding, here’s why you should start planning now:
- Enhance Tenant Comfort: Improved energy efficiency translates to warmer homes in winter and cooler homes in summer, leading to better living conditions for tenants. This can reduce tenant turnover and improve overall satisfaction.
- Increase Property Value: Energy-efficient properties are more valuable and attract higher rents. The Wave 3 funding can help you improve the value of your social housing stock.
- Future-Proof Your Properties: By taking action now, you can ensure your social housing meets future regulations and resident expectations for energy efficiency.
- Cost Reduction: SHDF Wave 3 offers grants to help cover the cost of energy efficiency upgrades. Participating in the program can lead to significant long-term cost savings on energy bills.
Taking a proactive approach can demonstrate your commitment to sustainability and solidify your position as a responsible housing provider.
How Can We Help?
We offer a comprehensive suite of services to help you prepare for and maximise the benefits of SHDF Wave 3. Our team includes qualified SHDF Retrofit Assessors with extensive experience in evaluating social housing stock and our assessment service goes beyond the basics, including:
- Retrofit Assessments: Our core domestic retrofit assessment service provides a detailed evaluation of your social housing units’ energy efficiency.
- Integrated Services: We combine air tightness testing, ventilation testing, and cavity wall inspections alongside our retrofit assessment, saving you time and money with a single visit.
- Data-Driven Insights: Our assessments provide a clear picture of your housing stock’s condition, allowing you to prioritise improvement projects for optimal impact.
- Energy Modelling: Take your retrofit strategy a step further with our energy modelling service. This identifies specific improvement options to achieve SHDF Wave 3 compliance and deliver long-term cost savings.
Unlock the Potential of SHDF Wave 3 for your social housing stock with our combined Retrofit service, featuring integrated Air Tightness Testing, Ventilation Testing and Cavity Wall Inspection for maximum cost-effectiveness, minimal disruption and increased accuracy.
SHDF Wave 3 Retrofit Assessments: Optimising Your Application
Our retrofit assessor team possess the expertise and certifications to conduct thorough assessments that meet the specific requirements of the program. Our combined service streamlines the process by:
- Identifying areas for improvement to meet potential SHDF Wave 3 energy efficiency standards.
- Prioritising cost-effective retrofit measures that maximise the impact of grants.
- Gathering data to support strong applications for funding, including crucial air tightness testing results, ventilation testing data and cavity wall inspection findings.
This combined approach offers several benefits:
- Reduced Costs: Our retrofit assessors conduct all assessments simultaneously, saving time and money compared to separate appointments.
- Minimised Tenant Disruption: Our efficient process minimises the inconvenience for tenants during the assessment phase.
- Increased Accuracy: Gathering more data through our combined services enables less reliance on assumptions and defaults, reducing the risk of going back to collect data on other visits.
By partnering with our qualified Retrofit Assessors, you gain a valuable advantage in the SHDF Wave 3 application process. We’ll equip you with the data and insights needed to demonstrate a clear roadmap for achieving energy efficiency goals and securing funding for your social housing projects.
Expert Insights
Using our services to collect as much data as possible at the very start of the process creates a detailed understanding of the condition of the housing stock. Having this information not only creates greater visibility over the current condition of the housing stock, but it also helps form an understanding of which properties should be targeted to support the SHDF application to secure grant funding.
Jack Hannon, Head of Operations & Retrofit
SHDF Wave 3 Timeline
- December 2023: Announcement of £1.25bn to support up to 140,000 social homes to be insulated or retrofitted to be allocated to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
- May 2024: Release of SHDF Wave 3 government guidance.
- The week of 30 September 2024 to midday on 25 November 2024: Application window open.
- 30th September 2028: Delivery window for projects closes.
Important Note: Grant funding for projects must be transferred to the grant recipient and spent by March 31st, 2028. Projects can use co-funding to complete any remaining work in the final 6 months of delivery.
Refer to official sources from the government website, RISE (Retrofit Information, Support & Expertise), Salix Finance (SHDF administrator), and the National Housing Federation for more information.
Building a Sustainable Future, Together
We are your trusted partner in navigating SHDF programs and achieving your sustainable housing goals.
Our comprehensive Retrofit Assessment service provides a clear picture of your social housing stock’s energy efficiency and identifies improvement areas to maximise the benefits of SHDF Wave 3. By working together, we can leverage this program to reduce costs for your social housing, enhance tenant comfort and significantly improve energy efficiency – all while contributing to a greener future.
Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your specific SHDF Wave 3 needs and explore how our comprehensive assessment service can help you prepare for success. We look forward to partnering with you on your retrofit journey.
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