Kingdom Housing Association used the Scottish Government’s Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund to upgrade six properties on Pleasance Road, Halbeath.
Changeworks’ Retrofit Delivery team managed the project and our Impact Evaluation team collected data to measure its success.
What was the aim of the project?
The aim of the project was to help households:
- reduce annual energy usage
- maintain a comfortable, healthy home environment
- adapt to get the most from their new heating systems
The upgrades included:
- Solar PV and battery systems
- Air source heat pumps (ASHPs)
- Triple glazing
- New external doors
- Loft insulation top-ups
What is the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund (SHNZHF)?
The SHNZHF is a Scottish Government fund for retrofitting social housing. Social housing providers can apply for funding to install Clean Heating Systems or make Fabric First upgrades.
The 2026 Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund is open for applications until 23:59 on Monday 11th May
Changeworks has an impressive track record of helping local authorities and housing associations win funding through the SHNZHF. For help making a bid, please get in touch using the form below.
How did we evaluate the project?
To evaluate the project, the team used:
We gathered battery data from the host platform, showing generation and usage patterns.
A tenant focus group helped us understand what life was like before the project. In the year following the upgrades, we carried out follow-up surveys and tenant interviews to understand how things had changed.
We recorded indoor temperature and relative humidity levels using TinyTag monitors.
We compared energy bills from the year before and the year after the upgrades.
Key findings
Using the methods outlined above, our Impact Evaluation team found:
Household energy consumption reduced
- Solar panel energy covered 67% of annual household energy needs.
- Solar panel energy saved of more than £2,000 over the year, an average of £400 per household.
- Solar energy stored in batteries accounted for a third of energy used.
Comfortable, healthy home environments
- Tenants found their upgraded homes more comfortable, with an average increase of 1.2-2 degrees.
- Tenants reported fewer issues with mould and draughts.
Households adapted to their new heating systems
- Tenants reported feeling confident using their new systems but this could be increased further with additional guidance.
- Some tenants benefited from increased heating control via thermostats and timers.
What the client said
One resident said:
“Overall, I am pleased with the system that has been put in. It is benefiting us as a family as well. We’ve gone through a winter without having a cold house or spending lots of money.”
Bryan Livingston, Asset Strategy Manager at Kingdom Housing Association, said:
“The project at Pleasance Road has achieved very positive results. The solar panels mean our tenants are buying less energy from the grid, whilst the insulation upgrades are improving both comfort and health.
“We’re grateful to Changeworks for delivering the project and helping us demonstrate its success through their Impact Evaluation service.”
Ian Cochran, Head of Consultancy at Changeworks said:
“We’re very pleased to see another Social Housing Net Zero Fund project making life better for social housing tenants. We hope Kingdom’s experience will inspire more social housing providers to realise their ambitions and we are ready to assist as needed.”
Download the Pleasance Road Renewable Heat Project report
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