Midlothian Council installed external wall insulation in 106 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 a mix of privately owned homes and social housing.
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.
Changeworks compared the EPC created before and after the measures were installed.
Key findings
Our Impact Evaluation team evaluated the installation of these measures via household surveys and analysing EPC data before and after the insulation was installed. Key findings included:
Fuel poverty
- Average energy costs for households involved in the project dropped by £264 following the work.
- The number of households that said they “always” felt stressed or worried about energy bills fell significantly.
Home energy efficiency ratings increased
- The energy efficiency ratings of homes improved by seven SAP points to 76 following the installation work.
- Properties in the area in EPC band C went up from 48% to 72%..
Overall comfort of homes increased
- People reporting that their home felt “too cold” fell by 36 percentage points.
- Rates of condensation in bedrooms fell from nearly 90% to just over half.
What the client said
One resident, who had measures fitted in their home, said:
“The house looks nicer and it is warmer in the winter.”
Andrew Souter, Programme Manager for Net Zero Infrastructure at Midlothian Council, said:
“The programme has delivered real, measurable improvements for Midlothian households, from lower energy bills to warmer, healthier homes, and we are extremely pleased with the outcomes this project has achieved.
“Changeworks has been an outstanding delivery partner throughout, bringing the expertise and dedication needed to ensure these measures made a genuine difference to the lives of our residents. We look forward to continuing this important work together as we strive to tackle fuel poverty and improve energy efficiency across Midlothian.”
Ian Cochran, Head of Consultancy at Changeworks said:
“These results highlight the wide-ranging benefits that energy efficiency measures can bring. Beyond the financial savings, it is particularly meaningful to see a significant reduction in the number of residents who said they always felt stressed or worried about their energy bills. This is a reminder that this programme is about improving people’s quality of life, not just their homes.
“With property energy efficiency ratings improving by an average of seven SAP points and most homes now sitting in EPC band C, this project stands as a strong example of the lasting impact the Area Based Scheme can deliver for communities across Scotland.”
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