The Scottish Government-funded Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme (EES: ABS) programme aims to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions by installing energy efficiency measures in homes across the country.
The result of this work is that homes should use less energy, and their occupants live in warmer, healthier homes. The ultimate aims of EES: ABS are to reduce carbon emissions from homes and reduce the role of poor energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty.
Changeworks is the largest managing agent of these schemes and have been delivering EES: ABS projects since 2013. We work with local authorities from the Borders in the south to Moray in the north to deliver, manage and evaluate the programme at scale across a range of tenures.
Over the 2023/24 period, our Impact Evaluation team was involved across seven programmes collecting data to evaluate how well the measures met the overall aim of the EES: ABS programme – to support fuel poor households to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Our team worked alongside:
- Aberdeen City Council
- City of Edinburgh Council
- Fife Council
- Midlothian Council
- Moray Council
- Scottish Borders Council
- South Lanarkshire Council
Below, we’ve summarised the key findings from each programme, showing an improvement in EPC scores and that householders reported lower average energy bills, and warmer, drier homes.
Aberdeen City Council
All 148 homes fitted with measures in the Aberdeen City Council area received external wall insulation, with 69 also receiving cavity wall insulation. After the project, 88% of households reported finding their energy bills affordable or very affordable, compared to only 50% before. The most common EPC band amongst the properties increased from D to C.
City of Edinburgh Council
Finally, in Edinburgh, 540 measures were fitted in 321 homes. Following this, gas bills fell by an average of £623 year, and electricity bills by an average of £53 per year. Our team also observed that the combination of external wall insulation and solar PV increased energy efficiency ratings by 13 SAP points.
Fife Council
Over in Fife, 318 homes were installed with energy efficiency measures. Afterwards, average reported energy bills were £480 less per year than before, and the average EPC band of homes in the areas went up from D to C. Overall, 41% of properties are now in band B or higher.
Midlothian Council
In Midlothian, installations were carried out on 106 homes. Median reported household energy costs fell by £264 following the installation of external wall insulation. The number of householders saying that they felt too cold reduced and the rates of condensation in bedrooms fell.
Moray Council
Further north in Moray, 874 measures were installed in 448 homes. After the project, the number of households finding their energy bills affordable or very affordable rose from 50% to 81%, with 45% of households reporting improved comfort.
Scottish Borders Council
Down in the Scottish Borders, 161 measures were installed in 86 homes. Following installation, it was found that Solar PV and battery systems covered 63% of annual household energy needs, and that 39% of properties are now in band B compared to none before.
South Lanarkshire Council
In South Lanarkshire, external wall insulation was installed in 95 homes. Following the work, households reporting feeling constantly stressed or worried about energy bills fell from 28% to zero, and EPC band C properties increased from 11% to 63%.
Ian Cochran, Changeworks’ Head of Consultancy, commented:
“The Area Based Scheme programme is one of the most important tools we have in Scotland for tackling fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions from our homes. The results we have seen across 2023/24 show how the programme is helping cut heating costs and improve wellbeing across Scotland.
“From households in the Scottish Borders generating nearly two thirds of their annual energy needs through solar, to families in Fife saving an average of £480 a year on energy bills, people are experiencing a genuine, lasting difference to their lives.
“Changeworks is pleased to share this overview of the outcomes of the 2023/24 programme. It’s important to showcase the benefits this programme is creating for households and communities across Scotland, as well as supporting our partners to find ways to leverage these learnings for continual improvement.”
Jill Craig, Head of Retrofit Delivery at Changeworks, added:
“The results we have seen across these programmes demonstrate just how transformative ABS funding can be for communities across Scotland.
“At Changeworks, we have spent over a decade building the expertise and multi-disciplinary teams needed to support local authorities and housing associations at every stage of this journey, from bid writing and project delivery through to quality assurance and impact evaluation.
“We stand ready to leverage our experience and our position as the largest delivery agent in Scotland to help partners navigate those opportunities and turn ambition into lasting impact.”