Social Housing Net Zero Fund: progress reports - February 2026

Projects Funded Under Checkpoint 7 of the SHNZHF

Project Title: Hebridean Zero Emissions Heating 2023

Project Organisation: Hebridean Housing Partnership

Technology Type(s): ASHP

Location(s): Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Grant Value: £800,000

Completion Date: March 2024

Project Headline: Project involved replacing 110 inefficient electric heating systems with new ASHP systems, with system controls allowing tenants more control over their energy use

Project Description:

Hebridean Housing Partnership installed ASHPs in 110 houses and flats in Stornoway, the isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides. Surveys in 2017/18 identified 48% of HHP tenants were in fuel poverty with inefficient electrical heating identified as a main cause.

Each ASHP system control allows the tenant to see the exact amount of electricity used per year, per month and per week for both heating and hot water. This allows tenants to budget in advance which is beneficial for those on prepayment meters. All heat pumps were fitted with Wi-Fi adapters to allow for weekly, monthly and yearly monitoring of the costs by the tenant and HHP with consent.

This project is a continuation of a similar project funded by Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund the previous financial year.

Project Title: Orkney Housing Association - Fabric First Upgrades

Project Organisation: Orkney Housing Association

Technology Type(s): Triple Glazing, High Insulation, LITU, Hot Water Cylinder Jackets

Location(s): Finstown, Rousay, Toab, Westray, Orkney Islands Council

Grant Value: £111,607

Completion Date: March 2024

Project Headline: This project installed energy efficiency measures in properties across the Orkney Islands

Project Description:

This project included measures installed to a range of properties including a mix of flats and houses across the Orkney Islands and measures installed included triple glazed windows, loft insulation, hot water cylinder jackets and high insulation where required. Fuel poverty is particularly high on the Orkney Islands due to longer heating seasons caused by the colder, wetter and windier climate, therefore improving energy efficiency measures will fundamentally improve the quality of life for households and alleviate fuel poverty.

All of these works will efficiently retain heat and significantly improve the thermal performance of the properties. All tenants have been offered a home energy check and visit, supported by Orkney Housing Association, and new EPCs will be produced for each property.

Project Title: Arlington Street

Project Organisation: West of Scotland Housing Association

Technology Type(s): Communal ASHP, Thermal Storage, Windows Replacement

Location(s): Glasgow, Glasgow City Council

Grant Value: £310,000

Completion Date: May 2024

Project Headline: This project included replacing current communal gas boilers with a communal ASHP system including thermal storage to maximise heat output and window replacement.

Project Description:

This project on Arlington Street in Glasgow is a sheltered housing complex for elderly people consisting of twenty five flats spread across three floors, which was previously heated by a communal gas-fired boiler plant in the ground floor.

A communal ASHP was deemed the most effective clean heating solution with individual Heat Interface Unit (HIU) for each flat and a backup electric boiler. The HIU allows tenants to control and be billed for their heating and hot water use rather than being billed for the buildings heating demand, which could exceed their personal use.

The communal ASHP has reduced the carbon footprint of the building and offers reduction in energy bills for tenants with the support of fabric improvements, including thermal glazed windows.

Project Title: Fife Housing Group - Insulation Programme 2023

Project Organisation: Fife Housing Group

Technology Type(s): EWI, CWI and LITU

Location(s): Dunfermline, Methil and Rosyth, Fife Council

Grant Value: £281,036

Completion Date: March 2024

Project Headline: Project involved energy efficiency measures to a number of non-traditional ‘no fines’ and empty cavity properties across Fife without any current wall insulation, adopting a fabric first approach

Project Description:

The project involved the installation of EWI and CWI to a pipeline of ‘no fines’ and empty cavity properties, as part of Fife Housing Group’s long term strategy to improve the energy efficiency of their housing stock. Works were complete to the PAS2035 standard and will contribute to a rolling program of investment works.

This project involved three phases of works taking place across various properties in the Rosyth, Dunfermline and Methil areas of Fife, involving a range of housing archetypes.

Tenants will benefit from reduced energy consumption and reduced energy bills as many of these properties did not have any insulation measures installed prior to this project.

Project Title: 2023/24 Non Trad. Retrofit Pilot Project

Project Organisation: East Renfrewshire Council

Technology Type(s): CWI, EWI, Cold Roof Insulation

Location(s): Barrhead, East Renfrewshire Council

Grant Value: £218,060.21

Completion Date: March 2024

Project Headline: Pilot project undertaking Fabric First upgrades to 14 properties including a mix of end, semi and mid-terraced houses in the Barrhead area

Project Description:

This project included energy efficiency upgrades including a range of the following measures: cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, cold roof insulation and other measures funded by the local authority themselves. These other measures included roof works, ventilation measures and solar PV and battery storage.

The works were carried out in accordance with BSI PAS 2030:2019 – Specification for the installation of efficiency measures in existing dwellings and PAS 2035:2019 – Retrofitting dwellings for improved energy efficiency.

The works have made these properties more energy efficient and will result in a reduction of energy consumption for the tenants. The insulation will minimise heat loss with solar PV and battery storage offsetting electricity consumption and carbon emissions. The project aimed to improve the properties’ EPC banding from EPC C and D to EPC band B.

Project Title: Pier View Tiree Energy Efficiency Project

Project Organisation: West Highland Housing Association

Technology Type(s): ASHP, Solar PV, Battery Storage, Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery, IWI, Loft Insulation, Windows & Door Replacement

Location(s): Tiree, Argyll & Bute Council

Grant Value: £1,055,296

Completion Date: April 2024

Project Headline: Project involved whole house retrofit to 16 semi-detached timber frame off-gas properties in Scarinish on the Isle of Tiree

Project Description:

Properties were in receipt of a full suite of retrofit measures including replacing the current inefficient storage heating, which was expensive to run, particularly on a rural island location where weather has significant impact on energy use. The old heating system was replaced with ASHPs, aided by solar PV panels and integrated electric battery storage installed to provide zero carbon electricity to the dwellings, improving carbon performance and sustainability, and reducing energy costs.

Fabric first measures were installed including internal wall insulation, loft top up insulation, replacing windows and external doors, and improving thermal bridging performance and air tightness levels to reduce space heating demands and energy costs.

The combination aimed to take the houses from Band D to Band A EPC Rating. A post commissioning monitoring and evaluation assessment is being conducted to collect and analyse information on the effectiveness of the energy efficiency improvement measures and provide data that can inform future energy efficiency projects and be shared with other organisations. It is hoped that this work would help develop an archetype solution for the social rented sector and can be applied to WHHA’s other rural stock with similar issues.