Moray Council installed energy efficiency measures in 448 homes over the 2023/24 period as part of the Scottish Government’s Area Based Scheme (ABS) programme.
Changeworks’ Impact Evaluation team was involved throughout the project, collecting data to evaluate how well the measures met the overall aim of the ABS programme – to support fuel poor households to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Measures were installed in privately owned homes.
874 measures were installed across these properties, including:
- Internal wall insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
- Loft insulation
- Room in roof insulation
- Underfloor insulation
- Battery storage
- Solar PV
What is the Area Based Scheme programme?
The Area Based Scheme (ABS) programme aims to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions by installing energy efficiency measures in homes. By doing this homes should use less energy and residents should experience improved health and wellbeing.
The ultimate aims of ABS is to reduce carbon emissions from homes and reduce the role of poor energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty.
We are the largest managing agent of ABS, and have been delivering these projects for local authorities across Scotland since 2013, improving the energy efficiency of homes for thousands of householders from the Borders in the south to Moray in the north.
How did we evaluate the project?
To evaluate the project, the team used:
One survey at the very start of the installation, a second survey immediately after install to gather feedback about the installation process, and a third survey 9-12 months after works were complete. The data from these surveys gives a picture of how people’s lived experiences changed over time.
A sample of households provided data from their energy supplier about how much energy they used before and after measures were installed.
Changeworks compared the EPC created before and after the measures were installed.
Changeworks gathered data on household energy demand, the energy mix from solar PV generation and the national grid, and battery usage from a sample of households in the special projects.
Key findings
Our Impact Evaluation team evaluated the installation of these measures via household surveys, analysing household energy consumption and EPC data before after installation. Key findings included:
Home energy usage decreased
- Annual estimated electricity usage has been reduced by 1,360 kWh.
- Annual estimated gas usage has been reduced by 635 kWh.
- Households finding their energy bills “affordable” or “very affordable” increased from 50% to 81%.
Batteries increased the benefits for householders
- Solar PV installed on homes provided 79% of annual household energy demand.
- Energy stored in batteries accounted for 65% of the energy supplied to households in winter.
Fuel poverty
- After the installation of measures, the proportion of households paying more than 10% of their net household income on energy bills fell from 22% to 17%.
- 45% of homes surveyed said the comfort of their property had improved, despite only 10% of properties receiving heat-related measures.
Home energy efficiency ratings increased
- The number of homes in the programme with an EPC rating of B or higher increased from zero to 164.
- The average SAP score increased from 65 (Band D) to 76 (Band C).
What the client said
One resident, who had measures fitted in their home, said:
“It’s great to save on energy bills and help the environment at the same time.”
Ivor McIvor, Private Sector Housing Manager at Moray Council, commented:
“We’re particularly pleased to see 45% of residents reporting improved comfort in their homes, and to know that properties in band B or higher have grown. This represents a lasting improvement in the housing stock across Moray.
“Changeworks has been a great partner throughout this programme, and their expertise and dedication has been key to delivering outcomes that are making a real difference to the lives of our communities.”
Ian Cochran, Head of Consultancy at Changeworks said:
“With an increase in households finding their energy bills more affordable and average SAP scores climbing from Band D to Band C, the findings from Moray’s ABS programme demonstrates the remarkable impact that well-targeted energy efficiency measures can have. Particularly striking is the role that battery storage played in maximising the benefits of solar PV.
“Seeing results like 45% of householders reporting improved comfort in their homes underlines why the ABS programme is such a vital tool in our collective effort to reduce fuel poverty and decarbonise homes across Scotland.”
Download the full Moray Council ABS report
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