How to support tenants with rising energy costs

By Changeworks and Warmworks

Heading into winter, there’s no doubt that the cost of energy, and the cost of living more generally, are of great concern to all of us.

For social landlords, that means worries about whether or not tenants will be able to keep warm over the colder periods.

Through SFHA’s partnership with Warmworks and Changeworks, you have access to a wealth of knowledge through their energy advice support services.

Warmworks can help social landlords to implement energy efficiency improvements that can support tenants to manage their energy bills. Having already developed a strong track record of partnering with social landlords, Warmworks is equipped to unlock the funding required and, provide an expert service at a time when people need it most.

A recent example of such work is evidenced through its recent renewable heat project with Angus Housing Association, with funding awarded from Energy Saving Trust. This project involved installing a range of energy-saving improvements including a solar PV system, an air source heat pump, and battery storage technology.

Warmworks’ installation of these measures aimed to make fuel bills for tenants more manageable, while also providing a supportive and well-informed experience for homes as we transition to renewable heating technologies. These technologies can play a crucial role towards securing the Scottish Government’s commitment of achieving net zero emissions by 2045. The results of the project are extremely encouraging as the renewable alternatives have proven to save tenants money against their fuel bills.

Warmworks is currently delivering further heating and energy efficiency projects in collaboration with Waverley Housing and Berwickshire Housing Association in the Scottish Borders.

Changeworks can help you reach net zero goals and support your tenants to be affordably warm, by working with you across all household decarbonisation efforts. This includes stock analysis, installing measures and delivering much needed energy advice services.

Changeworks is supporting housing associations across Scotland. For instance, Changeworks has a long-term partnership with Cairn Housing Association and has carried out analysis of their housing stock and its compliance with the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing Two (EESSH2). Using this analysis, Changeworks has worked with Cairn to develop and deliver targeted fabric improvements and low-carbon heating system initiatives, providing tenant support and expert monitoring and evaluation to ensure measures have real impact and to demonstrate the progress made towards EESSH2.

The Changeworks Net Zero Programme Development Team can work with you, too, to develop tailored solutions to improve the energy efficiency of your housing stock and to lower carbon emissions, from accessing funding through to monitoring and follow-up aftercare. Changeworks is also an expert in tenant engagement, making sure that your tenants are fully informed of what’s happening with installations and receive advice to help them get the most out of new energy efficient measures and low-carbon technologies.

If you are looking for energy advice to support your tenants to make the most of energy costs, and prevent or tackle fuel debt, Changeworks Affordable Warmth Services can help. Please get in touch to discuss what services Changeworks can provide your tenants. The expert advisers in that team know everything there is to know about managing your home energy supply, and can support applications for funding and grants to help clear fuel debt.

For a discussion about how Warmworks might be able to support your housing association, please contact Jenny Langskog, Senior Business Development Manager, at jenny.langskog@warmworks.co.uk. To speak to Changeworks about how it can work with you to deliver warmer, easier to heat homes for you and your tenants, email workwithus@changeworks.org.uk.