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Who we work with
Click on each logo to find out more about the clients, funders and partners already working with us to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, fuel poverty and waste.
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government works towards a Greener Scotland by improving the natural and built environment and protecting it for present and future generations. It takes action to reduce the local and global environmental impact through tackling climate change, moving towards a zero-waste Scotland and increasing the use of renewable energy. We deliver a range of services funded by the Scottish Government. These include Home Energy Efficiency Programmes, in association with six local authorities, Home Energy Scotland advice centres in the Highlands and Islands and South East Scotland, Local Energy Scotland which supports community and locally owned renewable energy projects and the Scottish Communities Climate Action Network. Changeworks Recycling provides business recycling services to the Scottish Parliament.
Energy Saving Trust
Energy Saving Trust is the UK’s largest independent organisation helping householders, governments and organisations to save energy. They are committed to achieving a sustainable future and are at the forefront of research. We have a close working relationship and seek to develop and enhance our services by sharing our knowledge. Funded by the Scottish Government, we are contracted by Energy Saving Trust to deliver Home Energy Scotland advice centres in the Highlands and Islands and South East Scotland, so that people have access to clear, impartial information on making their homes cheaper to heat. We also work in consortium with the Trust to deliver Local Energy Scotland services that help communities and rural businesses to develop renewable energy schemes.
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund distributes 40 per cent of all funds raised for good causes (about 11 pence of every pound spent on a Lottery ticket) by the National Lottery − around £670 Million last year. Money goes to community groups and projects that improve health, education and the environment. We have worked closely with the Big Lottery Fund for over ten years and their funding has made possible a number of projects which support vulnerable people to be warmer in their homes and to prevent or better manage fuel debt. These include Canny Tenants, a five year project launched in 2015, our Fuel Debt Support Service, Switched On, Canny Families Edinburgh and Healthy Homes for Highland. This relationship and long-term funding has allowed us to effectively build on our experience and evolve and improve our services.
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a major charity based in the UK, with a vision of a just world, free from poverty. Since starting out in 1985 they have raised over £1 billion to tackle the root causes of poverty and social injustice in the UK and across the world. Some of this money has helped make possible Changeworks’ Eat Well Heat Wise project, a three year project run in partnership with the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS). This project has supported over 1,600 older people across Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian to be warmer in their homes and make the most of their food budgets.
Zero Waste Scotland
Zero Waste Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to support the delivery of its Circular Economy Strategy and other low carbon and resource efficiency policy priorities. We have worked closely with Zero Waste Scotland for over ten years and their funding has made possible a number of Changeworks projects supporting waste prevention and behaviour change. Recent projects include our current Waste Wise Volunteers and our Lose the Litter initiative working with schools.
Argyll and Bute Council
We support the work of Argyll and Bute Council through our participation in the Energy Efficiency Forum and helping direct householders to energy efficiency funding schemes that are managed through the Council.
City of Edinburgh Council
Based in Scotland’s capital, City of Edinburgh Council provides public services to 487,500 residents and millions of visitors. We have worked closely with the Council, one of our key funders, for nearly 20 years. We work strategically with the Council to achieve its targets in reducing Edinburgh’s carbon emissions, fuel poverty and the amount of waste sent to landfill. We engage directly with householders, businesses, health professionals, community groups, school pupils and teachers in the city, providing advice, workshops, training, outreach services and curriculum linked activities in schools.
East Lothian Council
East Lothian Council aims to make East Lothian a prosperous, safe and sustainable place with a dynamic and thriving economy that will allow people and communities to flourish. The Council provides services for a population of over 100,000 and has worked closely with us for almost 20 years. We help the Council to access funding which will reduce carbon and fuel poverty and reach householders who are struggling to afford their energy bills. Initiatives range from large-scale energy efficiency projects to food waste projects and tailored outreach services which enable vulnerable individuals to stay warm.
Fife Council
As one of the largest councils in Scotland, Fife Council provides hundreds of services to approximately 367,000 people. It aims to grow a vibrant economy, increase opportunities, reduce poverty and inequality, improve quality of life, reform public services and promote a sustainable society. Over five years, we have worked with the Council’s Energy Management Team to deliver climate change awareness and energy efficiency training to over 5,000 employees and trained frontline staff to support clients who are in or at risk of fuel poverty. We work together to deliver the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Efficiency Programme and, through Home Energy Scotland, provide free impartial advice to householders on making their homes cheaper to heat. In-depth fuel poverty mapping supports targeted action.
The Highland Council
Highland Council provides services to around a quarter of a million residents across the largest local government area in the UK. We collaborate with the Council in addressing fuel poverty, improving the energy efficiency of homes across the region, and on projects helping the region make the transition to a low carbon Highlands by 2025.
Midlothian Council
Midlothian Council provides public services for a population of around 85,000 people. We have worked closely with the Council for almost 20 years. We help the Council to access funding which will reduce carbon and fuel poverty and reach householders who are struggling to afford their energy bills. Initiatives range from large-scale government-funded energy efficiency projects to Warm and Well Midlothian.
Orkney Islands Council
We work closely with colleagues in Orkney Islands Council to help deliver energy efficiency improvements to be homes throughout Orkney. We collaborate with the Council on ways to address fuel poverty and play an active part in their Fuel Poverty Steering Group.
West Lothian Council
West Lothian Council serves a population of over 175,000 people. Its mission statement is "striving for excellence ... working with and for our communities.” Key values include “making best use of our resources” and in addition to improvements in employment, health, quality of life for young and old, and community safety, priorities include minimising poverty and protecting the built and natural environment. We have worked with the Council to achieve reductions in carbon, fuel poverty and waste. Our support has varied from co-ordinating large-scale energy efficiency projects and recycling campaigns, to recruiting and supporting volunteers and delivering a real nappy project.
Warmworks Scotland
Warmworks Scotland is a joint venture between Changeworks, Energy Saving Trust and Everwarm. Warmworks Scotland delivers Warmer Homes Scotland, a national fuel poverty scheme funded by the Scottish Government. The scheme aims to help vulnerable, fuel poor and lower income families by providing step-by-step advice on energy efficiency and start-to-finish support to install improvements such as better insulation, new or repaired heating or domestic renewables, like solar panels.
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
The core purpose of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations is to lead, represent and support Scotland's housing associations and co-operatives. We have worked closely with SFHA for a number of years and share a commitment to support the socially rented sector in Scotland.
We support the SFHA to train housing association employees to effectively engage with their tenants on renewable energy. We receive commissions from the SFHA to research and develop projects, for example Renewables and Low Carbon: a guide for Housing Associations.
SFHA is regularly represented on our research steering groups, such as Using Solar PV to Tackle Fuel Poverty and most recently, Identifying the fair share: billing for district heating in hard-to-treat properties (published in 2015).
We regularly provide facilitation and presentation support for SFHA sponsored conferences and events.
Eildon Group
The Eildon Group consists of parent company Eildon Housing Association Ltd and Eildon Enterprise Ltd. Eildon Housing Association (EHA) is a charitable registered social landlord with over 2,200 houses throughout the Scottish Borders. They are committed to providing high quality housing, care and support services for individuals and communities. We work with EHA to deliver Canny Tenants, a project helping people living in Eildon properties to better manage their heating and electricity bills and prevent fuel poverty.
Fife Housing Association Alliance
Fife Housing Association Alliance is a voluntary group made up of Ore Valley Housing Association, Fife Housing Association, Glen Housing Association and Kingdom Housing Association. It aims to address the housing requirements of the Scottish Government, Fife Council, its member Associations and the communities of Fife. We have worked closely with the Alliance for over five years to tackle fuel and food poverty amongst their tenants and wider communities. Close partnerships across Fife allow us to provide a package of support. Together we build skills and confidence in managing household budgets, energy consumption and food waste through home visits, workshops and events. Training available to housing association staff includes getting the most out of newly installed renewable energy systems.
Grampian Housing Association
Established in 1975, Grampian Housing Association provides services to over 3,000 households in the North East of Scotland. They aim to develop sustainable communities by providing quality affordable homes for rent and through Low Cost Home Ownership initiatives. After installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on some of their properties, they were keen to measure the savings their tenants were getting and gather their feedback on the new system. We supported them through our project, Using Solar PV to Tackle Fuel Poverty, a study involving seven social landlords and 122 of their tenants, to determine what contribution PV can have in alleviating fuel poverty. We also helped Grampian Housing Association to increase tenant savings through provision of advice and a leaflet, Getting the most from your solar panels.
Knowes Housing Association
Knowes Housing Association is a charitable registered social landlord which owns and manages 1,019 properties and acts as factor to a further 200. Its mission is to provide good quality affordable housing and services which meet the needs and aspirations of the community we serve, ensure resident control of current and future housing and contribute to the continued improvement of the local community and environment. After installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on a number of their properties, Knowes was keen to gather tenant feedback and measure the savings their tenants were getting. We supported them through our project, Using Solar PV to Tackle Fuel Poverty. We also helped to increase tenant savings by providing advice and a leaflet.
Melville Housing Association
Melville Housing Association (MHA) is a charitable organisation set up to improve homes, improve lives and develop communities. With almost 2,000 homes for rent across central Scotland, Melville is Midlothian’s largest registered social landlord.
Melville based in Dalkeith provides services beyond meeting general housing need. These include maintenance and repairs, money and benefits advice and tenancy support.
We have worked with MHA for many years. We’re currently delivering Canny Tenants, a project helping people living in MHA properties to better manage their heating and electricity bills, prevent debt and avoid fuel poverty.
Port of Leith Housing Association
Port of Leith Housing Association’s vision is to improve the quality of life of individuals and the well-being of communities through the provision of high quality affordable housing, support and social enterprise activities. We have supported the housing association, its tenants and the local community in a number of ways, for example by monitoring research to inform an electric heating improvement review, reviewing the installation of ground source heat pumps and providing an outreach advice service which helped householders to make the most of their energy costs and household budgets.
Wiltshire Rural Housing Association
Wiltshire Rural Housing Association (WRHA) has been building and managing homes in villages around the county for over 25 years. They focus on building homes to high environmental and space standards, then letting them out to local people at an affordable rent. Registered with the Homes and Communities Agency, WRHA is a charity, an Industrial and Provident Society and a member of the National Housing Federation. After installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on a number of their properties, WRHA was keen to gather tenant feedback and measure the savings their tenants were getting. We supported them through our project, Using Solar PV to Tackle Fuel Poverty. We also helped to increase tenant savings by providing advice and a leaflet, Getting the most from your solar panels.
ALE Lyon (Energy Agency of Lyon)
ALE Lyon – Agence Locale de l’Energie du Grand Lyon – is the Local Energy Agency of Greater Lyon, France. It aims to conserve energy, promote renewable energy and fight climate change through awareness raising, project managing to ensure energy-efficient buildings and by supporting the development and implementation of local climate action plans. ALE Lyon is a partner in the European project, Low Energy Apartment Futures (LEAF), which we lead. The project is helping to improve the energy efficiency in flats and tenements in France, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Sweden and the UK.
Berlin Energy Agency
Berlin Energy Agency is a modern energy service company located in Berlin. As part of their three business divisions − consulting, contracting and international knowledge transfer – they develop and realise innovative projects that reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions. Berlin Energy Agency led the EU funded project, Energy Check for Low Income Households (EC-LINC), in which we were a partner. The project provided energy advice to low income households and helped long-term unemployed people in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Hungary and the UK.
Centre for Sustainable Energy
The Centre for Sustainable Energy is a charity, based in Bristol, which provides energy advice, training, project management, research and policy analysis. Its mission: a world where sustainability is second nature, carbon emissions have been cut to safe levels and fuel poverty has been replaced by energy justice. The Centre is a partner in the European project, Low Energy Apartment Futures (LEAF), which we lead. The project is helping to improve the energy efficiency in flats and tenements in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden and the UK.
eaga Charitable Trust
eaga Charitable Trust is an independent trust that supports projects and research that contribute to combating fuel poverty and ensuring that energy services are fair and accessible to all. Board members have advised Parliamentary Select Committees and worked in, or advised, Government departments. The Trust has supported several Changeworks projects including Energy Heritage, Renewable Heritage, Using Solar PV to Tackle Fuel Poverty and Fair Share: Billing for District Heating. The Trust was founded by eaga, now Carillion Energy Services.
Energiaklub
ENERGIAKLUB is a not-for-profit, Climate Policy and Communications Institute based in Budapest, Hungary. The organisation provides research, training, policy documents which aim to encourage energy producers, users and decision makers see energy in a different way. ENERGIAKLUB is a partner in the European project, Low Energy Apartment Futures (LEAF), which we lead. The project is helping to improve the energy efficiency in flats and tenements in Hungary, France, Austria, Germany, Sweden and the UK. ENERGIAKLUB was also our partner in a previous European project, Energy Check for Low Income Households (EC-LINC).
e7 – Energy Market Analysis GmbH
e7 is a company, based in Vienna, which provides consultancy, research and professional training in energy and energy economics. e7 is a partner in the European project, Low Energy Apartment Futures (LEAF), which we lead. The project is helping to improve the energy efficiency in flats and tenements in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden and the UK. e7 were also a partner in a previous European project, Energy Check for Low Income Households (EC-LINC).
European Commission
The European Commission’s Intelligent Energy – Europe (IEE) programme offers a helping hand to organisations willing to improve energy sustainability. Launched in 2003, it supports EU energy efficiency and renewable energy policies, with a view to reaching EU 2020 targets of a 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions, 20% improvement in energy efficiency and raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 20%. We have received funding for two European projects through the IEE programme: Energy Check for Low Income Households (EC-LINC) and Low Energy Apartment Futures (LEAF). We are project co-ordinator for LEAF.
Federation of French Local Energy Agencies (FLAME)
FLAME is a Federation of local energy agencies in France. Set up in 2004, it aims to represent its network of members at national and European level, promote collective action, facilitate knowledge exchange and disseminate expertise. FLAME is a partner in the European project, Low Energy Apartment Futures (LEAF), which we lead. The project is helping to improve the energy efficiency in flats and tenements in France, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Sweden and the UK.
Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP)
Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (Fraunhofer IBP) based in Germany, focusses on research, development, testing and demonstration and consulting in the various specialist areas of building physics. Based in Germany, their expertise includes noise control, energy efficiency, lighting technology, preservation of building structures and the conservation of historic monuments. Fraunhofer IBP is a partner in the European project, Low Energy Apartment Futures (LEAF), which we lead. The project is helping to improve the energy efficiency in flats and tenements in Germany, France, Austria, Hungary, Sweden and the UK.
KOMOSIE
KOMOSIE is a Flemish network of environmental enterprises in Belgium’s ‘social economy’ of not-for-profit environmental enterprises which employ low skilled, long-term unemployed people. Members include thrift shops and organisations that create jobs eg by saving energy for families with low incomes or working with food waste to reduce poverty and food surpluses. KOMOSIE worked alongside us as a partner in the EU funded project, Energy Check for Low Income Households (EC-LINC). EC-LINC provided energy advice to low income households and helped long-term unemployed people in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Hungary and the UK. KOMOSIE also delivered a related project, Energy Savers, which enables low-term unemployed people to deliver energy advice.
Ricardo-AEA
Ricardo-AEA is a global sustainability consultancy providing governments, public agencies and businesses with analysis, advice and data in six key areas: air and environmental quality, energy and climate change, resource efficiency and waste management, water, sustainable transport and chemical risk. We work with Ricardo-AEA to deliver the Resource Efficient Scotland service in the South East and Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Resource Efficient Scotland provides free, specialist advice and on-site support to help decision makers in business, public and third-sector organisations cut their energy, water, waste and raw material costs.
Uppsala University
Uppsala University, Sweden, is one of the top 100 universities in the world. Research in its Department of Conservation is focused on the sustainable management of cultural heritage, which incorporates protection, preservation and development of objects, buildings and environments considering economic, ecological, social and cultural values. The research is multidisciplinary and one focus is on energy efficiency and indoor climate, with several national and international projects. Uppsala is one of our partners in the European project, Low Energy Apartment Futures (LEAF), which we lead. The project is helping to improve the energy efficiency in flats and tenements in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden and the UK.