Warmer Homes Scotland's Story
Warmworks is a joint venture between three equal partners: Energy Saving Trust, Change Works and Everwarm. It was set up in 2015 to manage the Scottish government's flagship £224 million national fuel poverty scheme, "Warmer Homes Scotland". This flagship scheme is designed to tackle fuel poverty by increasing the energy efficiency of the housing stock across Scotland.
Since 2015, more than 30,000 households have received support with an average annual bill saving of about £300 per year. Eligibility for the scheme is twofold and rests on the personal circumstances of the householder (qualifying benefits) and the energy efficiency of the property (SAP rating).
The scope of measures currently delivered includes:
- Insulation systems (e.g. cavity wall, loft, draught-proofing, underfloor)
- Heating systems (e.g. gas central heating, air/ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers, electric storage heaters)
- Other measures (e.g. renewable technologies, water-saving measures, secondary glazing)
Part of the role played by Warmworks is introducing new technologies to the Scottish market through the scheme delivery, such as battery storage and robotic underfloor insulation.
Work is delivered by a supply chain of 22 local installers, mostly small- and medium-sized enterprises, based in all parts of Scotland. This supply chain ensures that the service is national in scale but local in experience. Warmworks uses only registered, accredited installers who can demonstrably meet high-quality standards. It is a partnership-based approach with Warmworks committed to delivering on job creation, training and skills development. 132 apprenticeships have been created and sustained in the supply chain since the scheme started.
There are numerous wider community benefits as a result of this scheme. For example, all of the supply chain members have a contractual commitment to pay the Living Wage, but more than half have gone on to become accredited Living Wage Employers. Warmworks does not formally report on the wider health impacts of their work, but other studies have shown how living in a warm, dry home can bring tangible benefits for physical and mental health.
Useful Learnings from Warmer Homes Scotland
Quality, transparency and trust are essential elements of the scheme.
Consistency of service is important as the scheme covers all of Scotland.
Having a registered supply chain and partnership approach to working with installers to deliver services helps achieve this aim.
There is no "one size fits all" solution and the local experience of individual installers within the supply chain can provide valuable insight on bespoke solutions.
The multi-year funding commitment behind Warmer Homes Scotland has been vital in creating such a strong and robust supply chain across the nation.
Warmer Homes Scotland's Metrics
Warmer Homes Scotland has already delivered a wide range of benefits, not just tackling fuel poverty but also having a positive impact on the wider community and on public health. For example, Warmworks reports on a monthly basis against a 16-point Employment and Skills Plan as part of its contract with the Scottish government, including targets on jobs, training, skills and placements.
