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Adding value to Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) projects.

October 5, 2023

Wave 2.2 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) has recently been announced, and comprehensive guidance will follow in mid-October to facilitate preparations for November applications. 

Switchee, a pioneer in Internet of Things (IoT) technology within social housing, offers a holistic solution that empowers landlords to monitor, assess, and validate the outcomes of their SHDF projects. Our unique solution delivers crucial real-time data and insights - before and after retrofitting - including information on resident heating preferences, thermal performance, risk alerts, and the ability to measure resident satisfaction through digital communication.

The Switchee device qualifies as an eligible measure (smart heating control) that provides residents with an accessible touchscreen interface for controlling the heating in their homes.

What is the SHDF?

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is an opportunity for registered social housing providers to receive funding for energy performance improvements in their homes. In 2020, the SHDF Demonstrator round awarded a total of £61 million to 16 local authorities for 18 projects, and Wave 1 saw £179 million offered to 69 projects in the 2021/2022 financial year. In 2023, 107 projects were awarded a further £778 million in Wave 2.1 (Match funding from Wave 2.1 applicants provides an additional £1.1 billion). Wave 2.2 will allocate up to £80 million of grant funding from April 2024 to selected providers in the sector.

Smart heating controls, including Switchee devices, are an eligible SHDF measure and can be included in the project's capital costs, attracting grant funding. Switchee was instrumental in most of the demonstrator projects and included in numerous SHDF Wave 1 and 2.1 retrofits with housing providers including, but not limited to, Platform Housing Group, Prima Group and Plus Dane Housing

Landlords who have successfully applied for funding through Wave 2.1 of the SHDF and have a Grant Funding Agreement with the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), either directly or as part of a consortium, will not be eligible to apply for Wave 2.2 with their stock.

Ineligible for Wave 2.2 funding? Unsuccessful in your Wave 2.1 bid? 
Contact the Switchee team to unlock grant funding options available to you.

How can Switchee add value?

Measuring, monitoring and reporting interventions and their impact is essential to meet the funding requirements. While modelling provides a degree of insight, capturing real-time data and extracting insights offers a more precise and conclusive assessment. Switchee remotely captures this vital data, eliminating disruption and the need for in-home visits and minimising resource expenditure.

Switchee is the leading provider of property data and insights in the UK social housing market. Combining intelligent analytics and IoT in-home technology, Switchee provides valuable, actionable insights into property performance. Leveraging the GSM network eliminates the need for residents to have WiFi, enabling the remote collection of sensor data fed back into our secure cloud environment. The device is a two-way, trusted digital communications platform between housing providers and residents. With an average response rate of 90% within 24 hours, Switchee enhances the value of SHDF projects, benefiting housing providers and residents alike. This communication channel enables the provision of surveys and valuable energy efficiency advice to residents.

By accessing Switchee data via a personalised dashboard, which includes metrics such as Time To Heat (TTH), Heat Loss Rate (HLR), and humidity and temperature data, housing providers can accurately validate the outcomes of SHDF projects. We also provide standard and bespoke reporting used by our existing customers and DESNZ for SHDF validation.

Our experienced Customer Success team will work with you to ensure that you and your teams realise the return on retrofit works investment, not only for the duration of the project but on an ongoing basis. We regard this relationship as a genuine, collaborative partnership and an overall extension of your team.

Our UK-based, in-house Switchee support team is on hand to assist installers in upgrading residents’ heating controls to a Switchee device and ensure the resident gets the most out of their smart thermostat. We currently support over 120+ social landlords to interpret Switchee data, enabling providers to prioritise the deployment of limited budgets and resources. 

The introduction of the Switchee Trusted Installer Network has enabled social housing providers to roll out SHDF projects swiftly and efficiently, ensuring seamless installations of Switchee devices from start to finish. 

Incorporating accurate property performance data will add value to your bid submission and provide concrete evidence of the effectiveness of retrofit measures. In partnership, Switchee will support you in shaping future decisions, ensuring efficient allocation of project resources, and improving the quality of life for people living in rented homes.

To learn more about how Switchee can add value to your Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) projects and support your bid, contact our team to arrange a discovery session.

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