City of Edinburgh Council installed energy efficiency measures in 321 homes over the 2023/24 period, supported by Changeworks, 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.
540 measures were installed across these properties, including:
- External wall insulation
- Internal wall insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
- Loft insulation
- Solar PV
- Batteries
- Secondary glazing
- Roof replacement
- Draught proofing
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 worked with a sample of households to measure the temperature and humidity in the main living spaces of the home before and after measures were installed.
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.
Key findings
Our Impact Evaluation team evaluated the installation of these measures via household surveys, monitoring the temperature and humidity of homes, analysing household energy consumption and EPC data. Key findings included:
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 25% to 7%.
- Installing energy efficiency measures in homes reduced bills by an average of £53 on electricity and £623 on gas.
- Half of households who had measures installed in their home said they are now “rarely” or “never” worried about their energy bills, compared to 12% before.
Home energy efficiency ratings increased
- The average home energy efficiency rating of properties fitted with energy efficiency measures increased from EPC band D to C.
- The greatest improvements were in properties where a combination of external wall insulation and solar PV was installed, which increased energy efficiency ratings by 13 points.
Overall comfort of homes increased
- Healthy heating regime (a consistent, comfortable temperature between 18-21c) was met more often following installation.
- Healthy humidity levels (between 40-60%) were met more often following installation.
What the client said
One resident, who had measures fitted in their home, said:
“I’ve experienced a 40% drop in my energy bills and a 100% drop in stress levels.”
Jackie Timmons, Head of Area Based Regeneration and Shared Repairs at City of Edinburgh Council, said:
“This work has delivered meaningful improvements to homes across Edinburgh, and Changeworks has been an invaluable partner in supporting the Council to make that happen.
“Their expertise and dedication has ensured that the programme’s benefits reach the communities that need them most, driving real progress in energy efficiency and reducing fuel poverty across the city.”
Ian Cochran, Head of Consultancy at Changeworks said:
“Alongside City of Edinburgh Council, we are proud of the tangible difference this work has made to households across the city. The programme is a vital mechanism for tackling fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency at scale, reaching those communities where the need is greatest.
“At Changeworks, we are committed to delivering this kind of meaningful, lasting impact, and this collaboration stands as a strong example of what can be achieved when organisations work together toward a shared goal.”
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