Transforming social housing through decarbonisation: The challenges and opportunities in decarbonising at scale

The English social housing sector is central to the UK’s wider ambition of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with residential heating contributing a significant portion of national greenhouse gas emissions. Social landlords are making substantial investments in decarbonisation and retrofit initiatives, supported by government funding such as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund. These measures include insulation upgrades, solar panels, and low-carbon heating systems.

These efforts are taking place against a backdrop of economic and regulatory pressures, including inflation, interest rate increases, and new requirements to improve tenant safety and service standards. Social landlords vary in their ability to implement decarbonisation at scale, and tenant engagement has become a key challenge, with high levels of refusals for retrofit works.

This policy and practice brief explores the financial and strategic context of decarbonisation in social housing, identifying the challenges and opportunities faced by landlords and the strategies they are adopting in response. Drawing on three research projects, the brief highlights the importance of ensuring retrofit works are fair, inclusive, and deliver tangible benefits for residents.