Social Housing Net Zero Fund: progress reports - February 2026
The Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund offers capital grant funding to support social housing landlords in Scotland to install clean heating systems and energy efficiency measures across their existing housing stock.
Projects Funded Under Checkpoint 3 of the SHNZHF
Project Title: ASHP Programme – 2022
Project Organisation: Berwickshire Housing Association
Technology Type(s): ASHP, Solar PV and Battery Storage
Location(s): Multiple locations, Scottish Borders Council
Grant Value: £756,204
Completion Date: March 2024
Project Headline: Clean heating and microgeneration to 109 properties in the Scottish Borders
Project Description:
This project installed clean heating and microgeneration to 109 properties across the Scottish Borders. All homes received ASHPs and those properties that did not already have Solar PV were given it where suitable depending on property archetype. The project was specifically designed to target tenants in rural areas who had inefficient or carbon-intensive existing heating systems, bringing the potential for energy bill savings while eliminating tenants’ reliance on fossil fuels and electricity from the grid. A number of properties selected for inclusion in this project had existing solar PV panels which were connected to the ASHP technology which further improve outcomes for tenants in terms of reduced running costs, while bringing the properties closer to a net zero solution.
Berwickshire Housing Association developed insulation and airtightness strategies where required for the target addresses, ensuring that heat demand is sufficiently reduced in the properties to allow the heat pumps to work as efficiently as possible once installed.
Project Title: Decarbonisation Programme - Jedburgh and Newton St. Boswells
Project Organisation: Waverley Housing Association
Technology Type(s): ASHP, Solar PV, Battery Storage and UFI
Location(s): Jedburgh and Newton St Boswells, Scottish Borders Council
Grant Value: £450,001
Completion Date: March 2024
Project Headline: Installation of clean heating and microgeneration to 32 homes in the Scottish Borders
Project Description:
This project brought clean heating and microgeneration to 32 properties in Jedburgh and Newton St Boswells, in the Scottish Borders. All properties had ASHPs installed in combination with solar photovoltaic panels and battery storage technology where necessary in a number of properties including terraced, bungalows and four in a block housing archetypes.
The project targeted residents in Jedburgh and Newton St, Boswell who had inefficient or carbon intensive heating systems, bringing the potential for energy bill savings. Additional insulation measures were installed where required to achieve better energy efficiency. To maximise uptake, Waverley Housing Association proposed using the Q-Bot system for properties where underfloor insulation is recommended. Q-Bot is a robotically applied foam insulation system that reduces disruption and is particularly suitable for those tenants that are elderly and/or vulnerable.
Project Title: Hebridean 100
Project Organisation: Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP)
Technology Type(s): ASHP
Location(s): Multiple locations across Comhairle nan Eilean Siar - Isle of Barra, Isle of Benbecula, Isle of Lewis, Isle of North Uist, Isle of South Uist, Stornoway
Grant Value: £750,000
Completion Date: March 2024
Project Headline: Project involved installing 106 ASHP systems into homes across the Western Isles
Project Description:
Homes were selected due to surveys indicating 48% of HHP’s tenants were in fuel poverty when utilising storage heating as their main heating source. The inefficient storage heating systems in 106 houses and flats were replaced with new ASHP systems, with system controls allowing tenants more control over their electricity use.
In HHP’s experience efficient storage heating systems have proven problematic, costly and have issues with affordability and controllability for tenants. ASHPs were identified as suitable heating systems as they provide affordable warmth to tenants as well as delivering environmental benefits through reduced carbon emissions.
Hebridean Housing Partnership have also simplified the installation and use of the ASHP systems to ensure tenants require minimal input when utilising the provided wireless controller to increase or decrease temperature at a given point in time with the system reverting to set temperatures at the end of each day. Each 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 installed ASHPs have been fitted with Wi-Fi adapters to allow for weekly, monthly and yearly monitoring of costs by the tenant and the association with consent. HHP have already installed over 1,000 ASHP systems with very high tenant satisfaction and continued this roll out with subsequent funding awards from the SHNZHF.
Project Title: Hebridean EWI
Project Organisation: Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP)
Technology Type(s): EWI
Location(s): Multiple locations across Comhairle nan Eilean Siar - Isle of Barra, Isle of Benbecula, Isle of Lewis, Isle of North Uist, Isle of South Uist, Stornoway
Grant Value: £330,750
Completion Date: March 2024
Project Headline: Project involved installing EWI to 23 Swedish Timber and Scan system houses which are of single skin timber frame construction and classed as hard to treat properties
Project Description:
The properties selected under this project already had ASHPs installed as part of previous works funded by other project partners. The ASHPs were installed first to avoid damaging the new EWI system.
By installing EWI alongside the ASHPs, the insulation will help maximise the benefits of the upgraded clean heating systems, already installed. Alongside this, the upgraded fabric improvements will bring a new clean finish to the façade of the properties. This has not only greatly improved the u-values but the visual aspect of the properties. The installation of these measures will guarantee lower emissions and lower energy costs for tenants.
There are many similar timber frame houses throughout Scotland which are classed as hard to treat. This project aimed to create an exemplar project that could be replicated across the housing archetype.