Social Housing
Decarbonisation Fund

Announced in 2020 as part of the government’s plan to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) provided by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) aims to improve the energy efficiency of social housing across England to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or higher. The funding supports the installation of energy performance measures to deliver warm, energy-efficient homes and reduce fuel bills and carbon emissions for residents.

Learn more at GOV.UK

What is the SHDF?

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) affords registered social housing providers in England the opportunity to receive funding for energy performance improvements in their homes. The SHDF seeks to deliver warm, energy-efficient homes, reduce carbon emissions, tackle fuel poverty, support green jobs, develop the retrofit sector, and improve the health and well-being of social housing tenants.

In addition to heating system upgrades, insulation and renewable energy installations, smart heating controls are considered an eligible SHDF measure and can be included in the project's capital costs. For this reason, Switchee has been instrumental in many of the Demonstrator round projects and partnered with several housing providers and local authorities on SHDF projects in Waves 1, 2.1 and 2.2.

This year, an additional £1.2 billion in funding is available to improve the energy performance of social homes in England. There are two routes to access this funding under SHDF Wave 3: the Challenge Fund and Strategic Partnerships.

Find out more

Monitor, assess and validate SHDF projects with Switchee

Evidence based retrofit validation

Measuring, monitoring and reporting interventions and their impact is essential in meeting the funding requirements. While modelling provides a degree of insight, capturing real-time data and extracting actionable 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 costs.

Smart heating controls

The Switchee device - compatible with heat pumps and gas boilers - qualifies as an eligible SHDF measure (smart heating control), providing residents with an accessible touchscreen interface for controlling the heating in their homes. Switchee's smart, internet-connected thermostat enables the residents to optimise their energy use, lower heating bills by up to 17%, and reduce energy consumption – future-proofing homes and driving towards Net Zero.

Low carbon heating

Switchee seamlessly integrates into low carbon heating systems like air and ground source heat pumps (ASHPs and GSHPs), providing real-time impact measurements through a personalised dashboard and facilitating smooth resident transitions with scalable education programs. Switchee has proven to be a strategic partner, as demonstrated by our successful collaboration with Northwards Housing in identifying households needing support during their transition to new energy systems.

Detailed insights at property level

By accessing Switchee data via a personalised dashboard, including thermal property performance metrics such as Time To Heat (TTH) and Heat Loss Rate (HLR), alongside humidity and temperature data, housing providers can accurately validate the outcomes of SHDF projects. We provide standard and bespoke reporting for SHDF validation, and our ongoing collaboration with the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is helping to shape SHDF validation reporting.

Tackling fuel poverty

By improving the energy efficiency of social homes and reducing energy bills, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund seeks to reduce the number of households in fuel poverty. Harnessing the power of real-time Switchee data, social housing landlords can proactively identify and prioritise their most vulnerable residents at risk of fuel poverty.

Strategic partnerships

Our experienced Customer Success team work with housing providers to ensure that the return on retrofit works investment is realised, not only for the duration of the SHDF project but on an ongoing basis. We regard this relationship as a genuine, collaborative partnership, operating as an extension of the housing team while on this transformational journey.

Resident engagement

Switchee facilitates high levels of resident engagement pre- and post-retrofit with the communications platform. Messages sent directly to the Switchee device boast a 92% response rate by providing a trusted communications channel between the housing provider and resident. This high engagement ensures smooth retrofit transitions and helps to support high levels of tenant satisfaction.

Switchee Trusted Installer Network (STIN)

The Switchee Trusted Installer Network enables social housing providers to roll out SHDF projects swiftly and efficiently, ensuring seamless installations of Switchee devices from start to finish. All installers in our network are industry-certified by recognised bodies like NICEIC and Trustmark, ensuring high standards of competence and compliance.

SHDF application support

Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise (RISE) is a free support service funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, providing training, guidance and support to help social housing providers, local authorities and their supply chains plan and deliver successful domestic retrofit programmes. Visit riseretrofit.org.uk for more information, resources and support.

Successful SHDF partnerships

Switchee are working with social housing providers and local authorities across the UK to deliver Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund projects at scale.

Would you like to learn more?

Enter your details below and a member of our team will be in touch to showcase how Switchee can add value to your next SHDF project.