The government has made a major concession to the social housing sector by overhauling the design of its flagship retrofit policy so landlords can access vital fuel poverty funding.

Vulnerable and fuel poor social tenants will no longer be entirely excluded from energy-efficiency subsidy after the £1.3 billion energy company obligation was reallocated three ways.

Now landlords will be able to access a new £190 million element of ECO which will subsidise loft and cavity wall insulation for 190,000 of the poorest households in England as part the green deal.