Changeworks Impact Report, 2021-22

Delivering positive low carbon living
Impact report 2021-22

Our Vision
A world where everyone is able to live, work
and enjoy life with a low-carbon impact.

Introduction
Changeworks has been leading the way in delivering high impact
solutions for low-carbon living for over 35 years.
We do this in many ways, including providing energy advice,
creating more energy efficient houses, and leading the way in
renewable and low carbon technologies.
Throughout 2021/22 our work has never been more important,
with energy prices, fuel security and the climate crisis on the top
of the agenda, and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
still being felt. These issues have meant a bigger demand on our
services, and more people reaching out to seek advice and support
on how to reduce their fuel bills.
With that context, we’ve been able to help more people and
achieve bigger overall bill savings. We’ve also worked with
1,900 organisations to create warmer, drier homes that
require less energy to heat and to support people with energy
advice all across the country.
All that adds up to over 245,000 tonnes of CO2e
saved and £1.86 million of savings
worked with, surpassing our targets.
for the people we
This is a testament to the hard
work of our staff in a challenging
year, the support of great partners and
funders, and Changeworks’ ambitions for
growth. We’ve created over 40 new jobs
across Scotland with more to come in the next
few years.
In the context of the climate emergency and the energy
crisis, our work has never been more important. Our
impacts are a chance to show the difference Changeworks
has made to people’s lives and to accelerate the decarbonisation
of Scotland’s homes.
It’s also a great moment for us to say thank you. Thank you to all
of our partners, funders, referrers, and everyone else we’ve worked
with over the year to achieve these amazing results. And thank
you to our staff for their tireless work on behalf of others.
While we’re celebrating these successes, we’re not slowing down.
Changeworks is growing and expanding our work all the time, and
there’s never been a more crucial time to be part of it.
Get in touch with us via email on workwithus@changeworks.org.uk to talk about
how we can support your low carbon ambitions, and how you can get involved in ours.

Insulating homes to keep the heat in
Changeworks’ 2022-25 strategy gives us one singular focus: decarbonising Scotland’s
homes. We do this through our advice and support services, but also through installing
renewable and low carbon measures in homes.
The majority of these are done through our work with local authorities, helping their tenants
and private householders to be warmer and more comfortable in their homes, or through
Warmworks as part of the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme.
In 2021/22, we worked with local authorities,
social landlords and private householders to
install almost 3,600 insulation measures.
That’s 700 more than in 2020/21, reaching
even more householders.
This work makes a big difference to people’s
lives, just like it did for Sheila in Galashiels.
Sheila had her heating on for around 10
hours a day because her house just wouldn’t
keep the heat in. That made keeping her
home warm very expensive, putting a strain
on her finances.
Working in partnership with Scottish Borders
Council, Sheila’s home was included in a local
external wall insulation scheme. That meant
she was able to have her home insulated at a
heavily reduced price.
The work took less than a month and gave
her property a new lease of life with a clean
and bright finish. She’s down from using her
heating 10 hours a day to just half an hour
or less. Her house stays warmer for much
longer.
Sheila was delighted with the work, and
being able to do her part to cut her heating
usage and tackle the climate crisis.
Sheila’s story is echoed across the country.
The improvements we make to people’s
homes make a big difference to their
lives, while also collectively
reducing emissions.

“I felt as if
someone was
listening… cared
about my case, and
was concerned about
how much money I
was spending.”

Cutting emissions with
renewable technology
81% of Scotland’s two million
homes use mains gas for heating.
Replacing these gas boilers with renewable heating will make a big impact
on Scotland’s emissions and journey towards Net Zero. Changeworks is at
the forefront of work to accelerate this transition.
We install a range of low carbon
technologies, from heat pumps to solar
panels and batteries.
In Kirkliston, we transformed the homes
of council tenants with solar panel and
battery storage systems for a project
as part of our longstanding partnership
with the City of Edinburgh Council.
900
600
300
0
700
2020/21
2021/22
In 2021/22, we installed over
900 low carbon and renewable
technologies in homes. That’s
200 more than last year, and
means we’ve installed over
3,500 measures since 2018.
As part of the commitment to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions in Edinburgh by 2030, the City of
Edinburgh Council has been working in partnership with Changeworks to deliver renewable energy systems
to local authority tenants through an area-based decarbonisation programme.
Over 100 council owned homes were fitted with solar PV and battery storage, allowing them to generate
their own electricity and use less from the national grid. This not only reduces people’s bills, it cuts their
carbon emissions too.
Changeworks’ Affordable Warmth Services team then provided individual advice and support to ensure
tenants can maximise the benefits of the system. Changeworks’ post-installation support and expertise is
a key part of embedding the success of these projects.
900
“It’s something I never
would have been able
to afford in my lifetime,
and the difference this
will make to the warmth
and hopefully my heating
costs… will be fantastic –
especially for my kids.”

An established legacy of warmer homes
Through energy advice, working to make homes more energy efficient and installing innovative low carbon
technologies, Changeworks makes a big impact.
Since 2018/19, we’ve installed over 15,000 measures in homes across the country. We do this though
working with great partners, particularly local authorities and housing associations.
Changeworks and Cairn Housing Association, a large
nationwide housing association, have a long-standing
partnership.
Working collaboratively, Cairn and Changeworks have
delivered great outcomes for Cairn tenants. We carried
out analysis of Cairn’s housing stock and its compliance
with the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing
Two (EESSH2) standard, and developed and delivered
fabric improvements and low carbon heating systems.
We also provided tenant engagement support, providing
energy advice to tenants and supporting them through
the installation process. Our dedicated monitoring and
evaluation team measured the impact to demonstrate
the progress made towards the EESSH2 standard,
happier tenants and reductions in fuel poverty.
Cairn’s commitment to fabric-first and demand reduction
approaches ties in perfectly with Changeworks’ goals
and strategy, making this a strong partnership.
Our longstanding partnership with the City of Edinburgh
Council goes back even further than 2018. Over the
decades we’ve been working with them, households
in over 10,000 homes are enjoying better energy
efficiency due to projects designed, delivered and
managed by Changeworks.
Our Building Decarbonisation team make sure these
projects are delivered to the highest possible standards,
while our Consultancy service designs and
models the innovative solutions being applied
to decarbonise the Council’s housing.
Our Quality Assurance team then
check the work has been installed
to meet quality standards.
“Thank you, for
everything you have
done for me. For all your
outstanding hard work to
provide me with a warm home
I so desperately needed. It has
made such a massive difference
to my life. I no longer worry
about the cold.”

Expertise in engagement
At Changeworks, we are experts in
engaging with householders. We
know that making improvements to
the fabric of a home, or installing a
low carbon system, can only work to
its full potential if the person in that
home is equipped with the skills and
knowledge to manage it. We also
know the transformational difference
that energy and behaviour change
advice can make.
That’s why engaging residents is a key
part of our work.
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
2020/21
74,100 Higher engagement
71,600
number than 2019/20,
the last pre-COVID-19
year (71,600 2019/20)
2021/22 2019/20
A great example of the strength of our engagement is our work with Melville Housing Association. Our Affordable
Warmth Services team worked to help their tenants better manage their energy bills and supported those
who were in or at risk of fuel poverty. Working closely with Melville’s in-house advisor, our team supported
residents on an individual basis. We tailored our support to the needs of each resident we worked with,
rather than trying a “one size fits all” approach. While Melville’s own advisor handled light touch
advice, our team were able to offer in-depth support to those who needed it most. Through our
great relationships and partnerships, we were also able to refer tenants on to other agencies for
other specialised support.
The partnership has been a great success, with learnings and approaches being
adapted into other engagement work. After being grant funded in the first year,
Melville fully funded the project themselves in the second year – a testament
to the impact being made by our work.
We’re not stopping there though. We’re now looking to expand our
work to include preventative fuel poverty support, engaging with new
Melville tenants to stop them getting into difficulties down the line.
“The advisor
put himself out and
delivered on what he
said he was going to do…
he went above and beyond
what was necessary to
get the job done.”

“I can’t thank you enough. Before they
were coming to break the door down.
Now I’m on top of things and I’m so
glad I got in touch. It helps with
my mental health too, not
having letters coming
every day.”
Tackling the cost of living crisis
Changeworks’ energy advice services have been busier than ever in 2021/22. The
cost of living crisis has meant an increase in calls and contacts, with the cases
becoming more complex and more difficult to support.
Target
Actual
In the face of this challenging environment,
our staff have risen to the challenge.
In 2021/22 we achieved £1.86 million
of financial savings for people we helped,
£0.75 million above our target.
£1.11 million
£1.86 million
Financial Savings
These savings make a real difference to
people’s lives – lives like Mr Smith’s.
Mr Smith (not his real name) was
referred to Changeworks by his local
authority landlord, as he had a warrant
of entry letter sent to him regarding an
energy debt of over £6,500. This debt
was actually higher, around £10,000,
once full meter readings were provided.
Mr Smith has some serious health issues
following two strokes, which prevented
him from being able to communicate
with us directly.
The advisor managed to identify he was
on the wrong tariff and meter type, and
that he was eligible for the Warm Home
Discount. Once this was resolved and a
payment plan was in place for the debt,
the advisor could apply for grant funding
to help clear the debt.
Applications to the Scottish Power
Hardship Fund and Home Heating
Support Fund were able to clear the debt
completely. When Mr Smith later moved
into alternative accommodation as his
health deteriorated, he could do so free
from the burden of this debt following
him. It also means his close family can
focus on his wellbeing, without worrying
about these financial issues.
Achieving outcomes like this for the
tens of thousands of people we help is
incredibly rewarding. We work to alleviate
fuel poverty, while also reducing energy
demand to cut their carbon footprint.

Big savings for those in need
84%
increase
in energy literacy
in those we helped
Our Affordable Warmth Services team are on the
frontline of providing energy advice to those most
in need, during the worst cost of living crisis in
decades.
One of the most effective ways to help people save
money has been to assist them with switching
energy tariff but the cost of living crisis has taken
away the option to do so because the cost of
electricity has risen so much. A large proportion of
people we worked with were not on the cheapest
tariff they could be, and helping them to switch was
a big part of the AWS team’s service. Our advisors
also adapted to providing more advice digitally
and remotely, as the traditional face-to-face routes
slowly returned after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite losing this measure to help people, the
team still more than doubled their savings target
for 2021/22. They saved almost £662,000 for
the people they worked with over the year, 220
percent of the annual target. Doing this in normal
circumstances would have been incredible – in
the context of the cost of living crisis and the
ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s
extraordinary.
Their work supports people like Michael, who
lives in North Edinburgh with his son in a twobed
flat. They both have additional support needs
and Michael had significant energy debt. They
were stuck in the dilemma of heating or eating,
and that was making them ill. The gas in their flat
was capped a number of years ago, leaving them
without functioning central heating.
In early 2021, Michael’s son was hospitalised due
to malnutrition.
That prompted the City of Edinburgh Council to
move them into temporary accommodation due to
the flat needing a lot of repairs, but this was in a
part of the city away from their family and friends.
That made it hard for Michael to get support.
He called the Energy Advice Service, a project
our AWS team delivers for the City of Edinburgh
Council. One of our advisors sprung into action.
Working with the housing officer, our advisor helped
get the gas supply in the flat back up and running,
and start the repairs needed to get them back in
their community. We also contacted his energy
supplier and applied to the Home Heating Support
Fund, clearing his debt and giving him some credit
to carry on with.
Between this and the comprehensive advice on
how to reduce his energy use we were able to give
him, Michael saved £1126.57. Michael and his
son are looking forward to moving back into their
flat very soon.

What’s next?
This report highlights some of the amazing work we have been able to do
throughout 2021/22, and the significant impact it has had.
The successes in both helping people save money on their energy bills and
cutting carbon emissions are exactly the motivation for us to work so hard.
We’re an ambitious, growing organisation, and we want to achieve even
more in the years to come to help Scotland reach its Net Zero targets.
In the coming years we will work with even more partners in more areas,
and achieve even better results. From our 147 full-time equivalent staff
in 2021/22, we will grow to 277 in 2024/25. Building on our significant
experience and capabilities, this is the next evolution of our leading services
and programmes.
We can’t deliver our ambitions for decarbonising Scotland’s homes alone.
Working with others is vital to achieving our goals, and we hope our impact
over 2021/22 has inspired you to join us on this journey.
Get in touch with us via email on workwithus@changeworks.org.uk
to talk about how we can support your low carbon ambitions.

Delivering positive low carbon living
Changeworks
36 Newhaven Road
Edinburgh
EH6 5PY
0131 555 4010
Changeworks Resources for Life Ltd is a company limited by guarantee registered
in Scotland No. SC103904 and a Scottish Charity SC015144