Our impact 2025-26
Changeworks is leading the way in delivering energy efficient homes, supporting households in fuel poverty and decarbonising Scotland’s homes via a just transition.
Making a real difference
Over 2025-26, the first year of our 2025-30 strategic plan, we:
- Supported 12,145 homes to install energy efficiency measures through Changeworks’ services, including Home Energy Scotland* and Warmworks (28% above target).
- Provided advice to 61,385 households through Changeworks’ services, including Home Energy Scotland (9% above target).
- Our expert, accredited advisors provided in-depth support to 1,524 households via Changeworks’ services, including Home Energy Scotland (3% above target) .
- During this period we have saved 36,435 tonnes of carbon across Changeworks, Home Energy Scotland and Warmworks services (30% above target).
*Changeworks delivers Home Energy Scotland in the Southeast and Highlands and Islands.
The past year marked the start of our 2025–30 strategic plan, a year defined by change, challenge and adaptation.
Our ambition remains to support the decarbonisation of 180,000 homes by 2030. While the external environment has become more complex, the need for our work has never been more evident.
Scotland and the UK continues to have unacceptably high levels of fuel poverty, with energy costs and poor housing conditions placing sustained pressure on households.
Despite the impacts of climate change increasingly being felt, there has been a trend in geopolitical narratives to dial down the urgency of climate action.
Yet public support remains high. Research commissioned by Changeworks shows that 70% of householders in Scotland support sustainable home energy. Over 1 in 3 people (37%) are very concerned about energy bills this coming winter, while25% of clients have returned to our Affordable Warmth Services in recent years.
The case for retrofitting homes to lower energy bills and transition to sustainable, more secure energy has therefore never been stronger.
Retrofit delivers far more than carbon savings alone. It brings social and economic benefits through job creation and supply chain growth, improves health outcomes and reduces pressure on the NHS, and delivers tangible improvements in comfort, wellbeing and lower energy bills. These benefits sit at the heart of our work, underpinning our focus and delivery.
Download our 2025-26 Impact Report
Growing our impact
As a charity we adopt a social enterprise model, reinvesting our surpluses to maximise our impact. Over the last year, we have expanded our fuel poverty services and trialled a range of new approaches to reach even more householders.
Supporting householders in energy debt
Our Affordable Warmth Services provide support to householders across Scotland struggling with rising energy costs. Research commissioned by Changeworks shows that, in the past year, 20% of people in Scotland have been unable to pay their energy bills or have fallen behind on payments.
Over the last five years, 20% of clients have accessed our services on more more than one occasion, highlighting ongoing need. Our support makes a real difference: clients report feeling warmer at home, more confident managing their energy, and improvements in their health and wellbeing.
In 2025–26, the service secured over £1million in financial savings for clients through billing advocacy, energy advice, and support to access grants and other financial assistance.
UK-wide collaboration
Alongside providing services and working in partnership across Scotland, through our joint venture Warmworks, we are delivering energy efficiency improvement services in Northeast England.
Via our Low Carbon Living sessions, delivered on behalf of SP Energy Networks, we provide free, accessible energy advice and support to help community groups and organisations across Southern and Central Scotland, Merseyside, Cheshire, North Shropshire and North Wales.
Find out what participants of our Low Carbon Living sessions think.
Fife Council
Our Consultancy team evaluated Fife Council’s Area Based Scheme, where energy efficiency measures were installed in 318 homes to tackle fuel poverty and reduce emissions.
The evaluation demonstrated improved EPC ratings from band D to C, average energy bill savings of £480 per year, and reduced financial stress from a third to zero, highlighting the programme’s positive impact on affordability, comfort and wellbeing.
Our work and its impact
Looking ahead
Over the next year, the external environment is likely to remain complex, with a tightening funding landscape in Scotland. At the same time, the Warm Homes Plan presents opportunities to build on our growing work across the wider UK.
Evolving UK geopolitical priorities may shift focus from the climate emergency to issues felt most keenly by householders day-to-day, such as high cost of living and energy bills.
Ongoing pressures linked to energy security and global instability will sustain high costs and uncertainty, exacerbating fuel poverty. Progress towards net zero targets across Scotland and the wider UK continues, but requires sustained, coordinated action and increased pace.
Against this backdrop, we are confident in our ability to adapt and respond, continuing to deliver our strategy while remaining agile in a changing landscape.
With almost 40 years’ experience, strong regional expertise across Scotland, and a growing UK-wide presence, Changeworks remains a trusted long-term delivery partner, recognised for quality, fairness, and expertise.
We look forward to working with partners – current and new – to scale our impact, and contribute to a sustainable, just future.
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