CIH responds to publication of the Warm Homes Plan

Government has today (21 January 2026) published its Warm Homes Plan.

The plan sets out how the government will spend almost £15 billion of funding for making homes warmer and healthier. It is aimed at all tenures, including social housing, with a headline aim of upgrading up to 5 million homes before the end of this parliament. 

The plan will fund upgrades for lower-income households, initially delivered through the existing capital programme, and include government-backed loans for low-carbon technology. It will also introduce long-awaited Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in both rented sectors, and contains an ambition to combine the existing Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant schemes, later this decade.

CIH is expecting that additional detail will be released soon, especially on the design of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in social housing.

Commenting on the publications, Matthew Scott, policy manager for net zero and sustainability, said: 

“A coherent, cross-tenure strategy for decarbonising our homes and making them warmer has been missing for several years. CIH therefore welcomes the landmark publication of the Warm Homes Plan, which sets out a clear vision and ambition for the future of safe, healthy housing.

"We particularly welcome the allocation of further funding to the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Local Grant schemes, the significant boost for heat network improvements, and the integration of heat resilience measures into the government’s capital programmes – all core CIH priorities over the past two years. Altogether, the plan is an important step towards giving the housing sector the clarity and certainty it needs for the future.

“We look forward the publication of more detail in the coming weeks, including on the finalisation of crucial policies for the social housing sector, and will be providing briefings for our members as soon as possible.” 

Find out more

• The Warm Homes Plan is available here. CIH will be producing a member briefing in the coming days.