Public sector decarbonisation scheme · schools
The PSC scheme for schools, without the marketing copy.
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) is the only capital grant route at school scale for heat-pump and fabric retrofit. It is currently closed. This site answers the eligibility question in 30 seconds, costs your scheme against the £325/tCO2e ceiling, and routes you to the live alt-funding programmes during the Phase 5 watch.
PSDS Phase 4 closed for applications November 2024 [Salix]. No Phase 5 window has been confirmed by DESNZ [DESNZ]. The current binding rule is the £325/tCO2e Grant Carbon Cost ceiling. State-funded schools displacing gas, oil or LPG heating on owned estate are in scope; independent schools and PFI sites without landlord consent are not. Live alternatives for schools right now: DfE Renewal & Retrofit (£710m, April 2026 [DfE]), CIF for academies, GB Energy schools solar, Warm Homes Plan.
Answer all three to see the outcome. Three questions, roughly 30 seconds.
Three outcomes. One lane each.
State school, gas heating, owned estate. Run the £325/tCO2e check and start the pre-feasibility pack now. When Phase 5 opens the queue is the queue.
Phase 5 is not confirmed. The DfE £710m R&R, CIF, GB Energy solar and Warm Homes Plan are all live. Pivot the bid pack to the right route, do not wait.
Independent, PFI without consent, or above the GCC ceiling. PPA, ESCO, Re:Fit and commercial heat-pump finance are the routes. We explain each plainly.
Where are you in the bid stage?
The PSDS pipeline runs pre-feasibility, feasibility, application, award, delivery, reporting. Each stage page is built for the workflow the bursar actually owns at that point. No fluff stages.
Which measures pass the £325/tCO2e ceiling?
Indicative ticker, school-scale assumptions, gas displacement. Full method on the VfM ceiling page. Numbers cross-checked against Phase 3 and Phase 4 funded-project lists [DESNZ].
| Measure | Lifetime kgCO2e | Capital £ | £ / tCO2e | vs £325 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loft and cavity insulation | 850,000 | £140,000 | £165 | PASS |
| LED relamp (bundled) | 320,000 | £85,000 | £266 | PASS |
| Fabric-first package | 1,100,000 | £310,000 | £282 | PASS |
| Air-source heat pump (with fabric) | 1,500,000 | £480,000 | £320 | PASS |
| Air-source heat pump (no fabric) | 900,000 | £420,000 | £467 | FAIL |
| Ground-source heat pump (small site) | 720,000 | £430,000 | £597 | FAIL |