The initiative addresses the environmental impact of residential buildings within the social housing sector by aiming to make them more energy-efficient and sustainable. Decarbonisation methods can involve implementing a range of measures, such as improving insulation, upgrading heating systems to more energy-efficient alternatives, promoting renewable energy sources, and adopting technologies that minimise carbon emissions. Through decarbonisation, the Council can make social housing more environmentally friendly, enhance living conditions, reduce energy costs for residents, and contribute to wider efforts in combatting climate change by lowering the carbon footprint of the housing sector.
As part of its Climate Change Strategy, the Council has committed to achieving a minimum EPC band C for all council homes by 2030. An EPC is a certificate that rates the energy efficiency of a property on a scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). EPCs are required when a domestic property is built, sold, or rented.
SBC Climate Change Strategy has identified homes as one of the key themes of the action plan. Priorities outlined in this regard include providing energy efficient housing (including retrofitting of current council housing stock), planning policy for zero carbon homes, and exploring opportunities for renewable technologies across HRA buildings.
According to the UK Government Heat and Buildings Strategy (2021), “to meet net zero virtually all heat in buildings will need to be decarbonised”, totally moving away from using fossil fuels. In this context, the Government has committed to phase out the installation of new natural gas boilers from 2035 and to fully decarbonise the electricity grid by that year.
The Council has been delivering projects under UK central government funded and co-funded actions to decarbonise its current social housing stock such as the Local Authority Delivery (LAD), the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and more recently the Warm Homes Social Housing.
Stevenage Borough Council is also undertaking a programme of major refurbishing work across their social housing which includes energy efficiency measures such as insulation (Loft, Cavity & EWI), energy efficient lighting, windows and doors. The town-wide programme of work will be carried out over five years. To find out more please visit Current Major Works (stevenage.gov.uk).
For further information regarding social housing decarbonisation funding, please see the tasks section below.
Delivery of the funded actions, following a successful bid for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2.1, which aimed to retrofit over 200 social homes in Stevenage. Further information here.
As of 11/07/2025 SBC's SHDF Wave 2.1 project has been completed, this scheme delivered energy efficiency upgrades such as wall insulation, loft insulation and upgraded ventilation to 237 flats and houses across the town.
The Council submitted an application for the Warm Homes: Social Housing funding (as a continuation of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 3). Notification for successful bids were announced in early 2025.
Upgraded social housing properties with Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) below C to above the C rating, helping social housing tenants to cut their fuel bills as well as delivering warm homes and reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The Council successfully secured funding to improve the EPC rating of around 209 social homes.
This included, if required, fitting, wall insulation, loft insulation, double glazing, energy efficient lighting and solar panels. Find out more at Social Housing Decarbonisation Funding (SHDF).
Council's application for the second round of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to be launched during the next financial year.
A grant funding award of £3.5 million has been allocated to the Council to deliver energy efficiency upgrades to 379 homes within its Council-owned housing stock.
A procurement process in currently underway to appoint a delivery partner to deliver these works.