Housing associations and local authorities are being urged to act quickly to take full advantage of the UK Government's £160m Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) for enhancing the energy efficiency of social homes.

Managed by The Department For Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the first wave of the SHDF scheme will allocate grants to those managing social housing properties with energy performance certificate (EPC) ratings of 'D' or below.

With 1.6 million properties meeting these criteria in the UK, the Fund is expected to support the retrofitting of up to 38,000 properties. Energy efficiency upgrades covered by the scheme include fitting new heating systems, energy-efficient doors and windows, and insulation.

The average household benefitting from the new Fund will see their annual energy costs fall by around £170.

As the SHDF opens to applications, local authorities and housing associations now have until 15 October to file bids for funding.

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Given the time constraints for submitting bids, IRT Surveys – one of the fastest growing thermal imaging and net zero software specialists in Europe – is advising candidates to act promptly and partner with an experienced retrofit specialist to ensure projects can be delivered on time and on budget.

With vast experience in delivering major SHDF-funded decarbonisation retrofit schemes across social housing estates – including a £5.2m project with Aberdeen City Council in 2021 – IRT Surveys is expected to lead on a number of key developments under the scheme.

Stewart Little, CEO of IRT Surveys, said: "This announcement marks a critical juncture in the UK's battle against fuel poverty and a major step towards creating greener affordable homes. However, the window in which housing associations and local authorities have to apply for SHDF funding is extremely limited and, therefore, it is essential that they act quickly to capitalise on energy efficiency and decarbonising opportunities for their properties.

"At IRT Surveys we are proud to support social housing providers nationwide not only in gaining access to funding for major projects, but also by delivering independent data-driven advice for retrofits. Such insights help housing providers discover energy-saving opportunities at pace, make intelligent retrofit decisions, and access Net-Zero funding faster for warm, happy tenants."

IRT Surveys help clients make smart retrofit decisions using the latest thermal imaging technology and DREam, the company's flagship online platform that shows users how to save energy and access funding fast.

Since 2002 IRT has surveyed over 350,000 homes the UK – as well as 2,000 commercial buildings globally, including Buckingham Palace, The White House, Reichstag and EU Headquarters #– and helped hundreds of housing professionals plan retrofits to make their homes more energy-efficient.