Retrofitting Scotland’s Homes for a Sustainable Future

Changeworks is a leading social enterprise delivering affordably warm, healthy and energy efficient homes, supporting households in fuel poverty and contributing to a sustainable, just future. In this op ed, Josiah Lockhart, Chief Executive, writes about the links between fuel poverty and housing and how Changeworks is making a difference.

Scotland is facing a fuel poverty crisis, with almost one in three households living in fuel poverty. More than a third of Scots (37%) are very worried about being able to afford their energy bills this winter. A major contributor is the poor energy efficiency of many homes. Leaky properties require more energy to heat, leaving households with higher energy bills.

At the same time, our research shows that almost half of Scots (49%) see the climate emergency as the most important issue we face. Residential buildings account for around 20% of UK greenhouse gas emissions and are Scotland's fourth highest-emitting sector. By improving home energy efficiency, retrofit can lower energy bills and emissions. Public backing is strong, with 70% of Scots supporting the switch to sustainable energy.

Delivered at the scale Scotland needs, retrofit also represents a significant opportunity for economic growth, business investment and job creation. For organisations working across housing, energy and climate, the need for action is clear.

However, the external environment is complex: funding is tight, geopolitics is unpredictable, and public attention is understandably focussed on the cost of living. Yet the underlying need for advice and support with retrofit and energy bills has never been more evident. At Changeworks, we've seen this first-hand.

Retrofit as growth driver

Done well, retrofit drives growth by creating jobs, strengthening supply chains and attracting sustainable investment. By improving health outcomes linked to cold, damp homes, it can reduce pressure on the NHS. It can also improve comfort, wellbeing and productivity, particularly for people working from home. Affordably warm, healthy and energy-efficient homes create social value and commercial opportunity.

Changeworks’ delivery last year shows the scale of the challenge and opportunity. More than 61,000 householders received energy advice and support. More than 12,000 homes were enabled to install energy-efficiency measures, saving 36,500 tonnes of carbon. One in five Affordable Warmth Services clients in recent years returned for support, demonstrating both continuing need and households’ trust in Changeworks.

Scaling delivery of affordably warm homes

The UK Warm Homes Plan presents an opportunity to scale delivery. At Changeworks, we are building partnerships to respond to it, working with social landlords, energy sector partners, distribution network operators, community organisations and other UK-wide collaborators.

We are also exploring new investment routes through our trading subsidiary, Changeworks Enterprises, because the scale of the retrofit challenge in Scotland cannot be met by grant funding and public contracts alone. It needs private capital, commercial partnerships and organisations willing to bring innovative new investment models to the table.

Energy insecurity and global instability will keep costs high and uncertain for the foreseeable future. But this only makes the need to scale delivery of affordably warm, sustainably heated homes even more urgent. The opportunity remains significant: tackling fuel poverty, reducing emissions and supporting economic growth through investment in homes and communities.

Join our growth journey

Changeworks recorded turnover of £12.2 million in 2025-26, and with almost 40 years' experience, expertise across Scotland and a growing UK-wide presence, we are well positioned to continue to deliver at scale with cross-sector partners.

If you're interested in where climate ambition and commercial opportunity can overlap, we welcome the conversation. Contact us today on [email protected]

You can also find out more about Changeworks here.