A provider of housing and support for people with learning difficulties and mental health conditions has been awarded £980,000 by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to improve the energy efficiency of its homes across England.

Advance Housing and Support says the funding – which comes from the Warm Homes Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (Wave 3) – will help boost the work it’s already doing to upgrade all its homes to at least EPC band C by 2030.

The government fund supports social housing providers across the UK to make efficiency improvements, which often results in energy performance certificate (EPC) upgrades.

The full amount of funding will be matched by Advance to install energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, low-carbon heating systems, and new windows and doors to its homes.

While helping to reduce its carbon footprint, Advance says the measures will also deliver benefits to customers through lower energy bills and more comfortable homes.

Chief Executive, Julie Layton, said: “We are proud of our record of providing good quality homes for customers across the country. This funding will support our ambitions to make sure all our properties end up meeting quality standards for energy efficiency, reducing costs and enhancing living conditions for customers.”

Shelia, an Advance resident from Leicester, is one of whose who has benefitted from new insulation in her property. She said: “It’s like living in a new house – it is beautiful. The house is very warm and I’m saving a lot on the heating bills. It’s absolutely fabulous.”

This is the second amount of DESNZ funding Advance has received since the SHDF scheme launched in 2021. The new Wave 3 programme of work will follow on from the improvements that were made to 23 properties across Leicestershire in 2024.