Social Housing Net Zero Fund: progress reports - February 2026

Projects Funded Under Checkpoint 1 of the SHNZHF

Project Title: DGHP Cavity Wall Insulation

Project Organisation: Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership

Technology Type(s): CWI

Location(s): Multiple locations across Dumfries and Galloway Council including: Annan, Canonbie, Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie, Dumfries, Gretna, Kirkcudbright, Lockerbie, Moffat, Newton Stewart, Stranraer, Thornhill

Grant Value: £327,525

Completion Date: March 2023

Project Headline: This project involved installing Cavity Wall Insulation (CWI) across 397 properties in various locations across Dumfries and Galloway

Project Description:

The project involved installing CWI to 397 properties with a range of current heating sources. The installation of measures led to reductions on tenant’s fuel bills. The project was designed to ensure those most likely to be in or at risk of fuel poverty and living in properties that are the least energy efficient were included. The tenant group comprises vulnerable and elderly individuals within rural and remote areas and were located within areas with high levels of deprivation.

The program formed Phase 1 of a longer term program designed to improve the fabric of Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership’s housing stock and ready the properties for future clean heating solutions.

Project Title: Waverley HA EESSH Fabric Upgrades Programme

Project Organisation: Waverley Housing Association

Technology Type(s): CWI, FI, RI, Double Glazing, External Doors and LITU

Location(s): Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Council

Grant Value: £140,000

Completion Date: June 2022

Project Headline: Installation “fabric first” energy efficiency measures into 56 properties, enabling future investment in low carbon emission heating

Project Description:

The project involved the installation of fabric improvement measures to 56 properties in multiple areas within Edinburgh Council. The homes were of a varied archetype and so the measures installed varied between properties.

The fabric measures that were installed, dependent on need/ suitability per property, were: Energy efficient double glazing, external doors, CWI, UFI, Flat/sloping roof insulation and Loft insulation/loft insulation top-up.

These properties were targeted as they were among the least energy efficient from the organisation’s stock, with an EPC rating of E or F. These fabric measures improved the EPC rating, reduced energy bills for tenants and improved thermal comfort for the tenants in their homes.

Project Title: Aberdeenshire Council - Steps to Net Zero for Hard-to-Treat Properties

Project Organisation: Aberdeenshire Council

Technology Type(s): HHRSH, IWI, Solar PV

Location(s): Multiple locations across Aberdeenshire Council including: Aberchirder, Bridge of Marnoch, Fraserbugh, Huntly, Inverurie, Peterhead and Stonehaven.

Grant Value: £2,523,860

Completion Date: February 2023

Project Headline: Upgrading of 120 hard to treat properties with Internal Wall Insulation, High Retention Storage Heaters and Solar Panels

Project Description:

The project scaled up an existing Aberdeenshire Council program that involved carrying out works to void properties, comprising a mix of houses and flats. These are all hard-to-treat properties, typically with stone cladding making both External and Cavity Wall Insulation unsuitable. Therefore, Internal Wall Insulation was deemed the most appropriate solution for these properties, alongside other insulation measures as required and where applicable.

The properties included were all vacant properties owned by Aberdeenshire Council, in various locations across Aberdeenshire. Due to the disruption IWI could cause to tenants the decision was taken to install the IWI and appropriate complimentary measures in the void period between tenancies, maximising efficiencies in terms of installs.

The properties had old heating systems that included a mix of electric storage heating and oil and gas fired central heating. Energy efficiency measures installed primarily included internal wall insulation, alongside a mixture of other measures which depended on the particular property. These measures include the following: loft insulation, under-floor insulation room-in-the-roof insulation and double or secondary glazing.

High Heat Retention Storage Heaters and Solar PV were also installed alongside the energy efficiency measures wherever the existing heating system required replacement. The project aimed to provide a significant step towards meeting climate change goals in hard to treat properties, avoiding increases in household energy bills and disruption to tenants.

Project Title: Net Zero Heat Project, Kirkbank, Auchmithie

Project Organisation: Angus Housing Association

Technology Type(s): ASHP, Solar PV, Battery Storage and UFI

Location(s): Auchmithie, Scottish Borders Council

Grant Value: £550,149

Completion Date: May 2022

Project Headline: Providing Clean Heating and reduced energy bills to 36 rural properties in the Scottish borders

Project Description:

The project provided clean heating to 36 properties in Auchmithie, Scottish Borders. The properties received an ASHP, solar PV and battery storage technology to decarbonise the heat provision in these homes and bring further benefits to tenants in terms of utility bill savings. The properties were heated by inefficient, traditional storage heating systems and twin immersion dual hot water cylinders, which all tenants had said were expensive to run.

The project had been designed to ensure those most likely to be in or at risk of fuel poverty and living in properties that are the least energy efficient are included. The homes selected for intervention were failing the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) and were located within a rural area; resulting in additional travel spend to allow householders to access vital amenities which further exacerbated the difficulties tenants faced in heating their homes. To ensure the newly installed heating systems perform as effectively as possible, underfloor insulation was also installed where required.

This project was the initial phase in Angus Housing Association’s drive to contribute towards Scottish Government’s fuel poverty and net zero targets. The insight gained from this pilot will allow them to take forward a long-term plan of decarbonisation, with tenant outcomes at the center of their considerations.

Project Title: BISF properties Upgrade: Newarthill & Newmains

Project Organisation: North Lanarkshire Council

Technology Type(s): EWI

Location(s): Newarthill and Newmains, North Lanarkshire

Grant Value: £275,500

Completion Date: March 2022

Project Headline: Installation of External Wall Insulation into 20 properties with poor energy ratings

Project Description:

This project aimed to improve energy efficiency measures in non-traditional semi-detached hard-to-treat British Iron and Steel Federation (BISF) properties. The project involved 20 properties receiving external wall insulation improving the u-value of the walls to 0.17, properties also benefitted from solar PV, not installed as part of the SHNZHF grant funding.

BISF properties are steel constructed 3-bedroom semi-detached house types with steel frames and steel sitting within the wall cavity, and plasterboard lining to the internal walls. The original roof finish was profiled asbestos cement which had already been replaced as part of previous works by the local authority.

The property type was selected as it was recognised as suffering from poor energy efficiency with EPC recorded as low as band E and original external wall values assessed as being between 1.48-1.68W/m2k. The properties were all heated by gas condensing boilers with individual TRVs on radiators and house thermostat.

As well as pre and post EPCs, the project involved tenant liaison to ensure tenants were most effectively using their heating systems in addition to receiving advice on their energy tariff and advice on preventing condensation based on the increased energy efficiency of the properties.

Project Title: Mackenzie Gardens’ Zero Emission Heating Project

Project Organisation: Grampian Housing Association

Technology Type(s): Communal ASHP system, Solar PV, Battery Storage, CWI, LITU

Location(s): Turriff, Aberdeenshire

Grant Value: £298,557

Completion Date: August 2022

Project Headline: Project involved 23 properties through the connection to a communal Air Source Heat Pump system alongside the installation of solar photovoltaic panels and battery storage, and insulation.

Project Description:

This project involved the installation of a communal air source heat pump system to supply low carbon heat to 23 social housing homes in Turriff, Aberdeenshire. Additional Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) were also installed as part of a PAS2035 retrofit program including Solar PV Panels, Battery Storage, CWI and LITU.

Solar panels were installed so solar energy can be stored (in battery storage) and used to reduce energy costs for tenants, with any excess energy been fed back into the grid or provisioned for use in other Grampian Housing Association housing stock nearby.

The installation sought to not only reduce carbon emission but to reduce tenants’ energy bills. In addition to the ECMs installed, a dynamic metering and billing system and thermostatic heat controls were also installed.

The system was also designed with the potential for adding additional properties in the future, with the ASHP system designed to allow heat pump modules to be added.