Ian Rodger, director public sector decarbonisation, Salix
Taking action on climate change isn’t just about reducing emissions, it’s about improving people’s everyday lives. By making public buildings and homes more energy-efficient, we create spaces that are warmer, healthier, and more comfortable to live, work and learn in.
At the same time, these improvements reduce energy bills, making life more affordable for households and easing pressure on public sector budgets. Supporting the UK government in its climate goals allows us to achieve these dual benefits: tackling the climate crisis while delivering tangible improvements for our communities across the country. Investing in low-carbon infrastructure is not only the right thing to do environmentally but also makes economic sense, delivering long-term value for households, organisations and society, now and for generations to come.
At Salix, we’re privileged to work with a wide range of stakeholders, from central and devolved governments to hundreds of public sector organisations, contractors and delivery partners across the UK. While our roles may differ, we share common goals: to reduce emissions, reduce energy bills and to help people live and work in more comfortable, healthier environments.
At Salix, we focus on how energy is used across public buildings and homes, supporting organisations to reduce demand, improve efficiency and decarbonise heat. Energy efficiency technology plays a vital role, and our experience consistently shows that people are key to making a difference. It is the leadership, expertise and commitment of individuals across the public sector that drive progress. Technology enables change, but people make it happen. And we see its impact on the people who use these buildings whether it’s lowering household bills or helping a hospital patient recover more effectively because the ward has a better-controlled environment.
That belief in change being possibly takes us to sites across the country. Over the past year, our teams have travelled extensively to meet stakeholders face to face, visiting people’s homes, schools, NHS hospitals, council offices, town halls, libraries and universities. These visits allow us to see first-hand how energy efficiency technologies – including solar panels, heat pumps, heat networks, building fabric improvements and low-carbon heating systems – are making a real difference to people. We get to listen, learn and understand the challenges faced by those delivering projects on the ground.
From headteachers creating warmer, lower-cost learning environments, to NHS estates teams decarbonising critical healthcare infrastructure, to councils upgrading civic buildings for their communities, we have met highly inspiring people leading complex projects with determination and pride. Their work is helping organisations cut emissions, lower energy bills and progress towards ambitious net zero targets.
Our collective impact is significant. Since 2020, Salix has awarded £2.9 billion to more than 1,200 projects through phases 1 to 3 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. By the end of 2024-25, total Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme grant awards in England reached £3.7 billion, supporting schemes valued at more than £4.6 billion. These projects are projected to save more than 550,000 tonnes of CO₂e every year. Alongside this, we have delivered more than 35,000 energy efficiency improvement measures to improve social housing.
Innovation remains central to our approach. In 2025, deep geothermal schemes were approved for the first time through Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, supporting the deployment of novel low-carbon heat technology at the University of York, Countess of Chester Hospital and University Hospitals Birmingham.
We are equally proud of our work in housing. Through phases 2.1 and 2.2 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, £454 million was invested in 2024-25, delivering energy efficiency improvements to more than 17,000 homes. In the same year, more than £162 million was paid through the Home Upgrade Grant, enabling improvements to around 10,000 homes and helping reduce fuel poverty while cutting emissions.
Our work extends across the UK. In Scotland, 23 projects benefited from a £25 million investment through the first two phases of Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, with savings forecast at more than 3,000 tonnes of CO₂e each year. In Wales, we support Digarbon, and the Wales Funding Program helping the public sector and tertiary education sectors decarbonise their estates, with more than £40 million awarded in the last two years.
We are also working with both governments to fund solar panels on the roofs of schools, council buildings and universities with funding provided through GB Energy.
Alongside funding and delivery, sharing learning is a core part of how we work. We engage with people in many ways to exchange insight, build capability and support delivery. We run regular webinars and learning events, host a podcast featuring world-leading innovators, policymakers and climate experts, including scientists as well as storytellers.
This is not the time to stand still. We continue to deliver the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme until the currently funded projects complete in 2028 and our work with Scotland, Wales and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority is ongoing.
We are passionate about supporting councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities to improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact and create better places to live, work, use and visit.
There is much more planned for 2026 as we continue to expand how we connect with and support the sector. We are looking forward to the challenges ahead. Together we can make a difference.
We want to hear from you. Visit our website to find out more, join our events, listen to our podcast, and tell us what you think.
This article appeared in the Jan/Feb 2026 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.