Warmworks Scotland awarded £244m fuel poverty contract

Warmworks Scotland has been awarded a contract for a £244 million national fuel poverty scheme which will launch in September.

The scheme, which aims to help up to 28,000 vulnerable households, includes the installation of insulation and new heating systems. It will provide a personal customer service helping householders from the time they call up through to when the work is done. Other options will be available for people living off the main gas grid including solar thermal and biomass systems.

Three organisations, Energy Saving Trust, Changeworks charity and Scottish SME Everwarm, will form the joint venture Warmworks Scotland and ensure support is available at a national level for households as part of a contract worth up to £224m over a seven year term.

Mike Thornton, Energy Saving Trust director of government services, said: “This will give people living in fuel poverty really practical support. The initiative provides a more integrated step-by-step service to customers, from the initial referral through to the installation and beyond.

“Each customer will receive their own personal adviser and be supported through any complex issue or challenge they may face. This project will continue to help improve the lives of people in Scotland by making their homes warmer and more comfortable.”

Teresa Bray, Changeworks chief executive, said: “We believe the successful approach for a fuel poverty project of this scale demands an alternative delivery model. We’ve bonded the skills and expertise of two leading social enterprises with the private sector to deliver a high quality public service to tackle fuel poverty. This delivery model offers new opportunities to provide effective and efficient services to help struggling households in rural and urban Scotland.”

Michael McMahon, managing director at Everwarm, added: “This partnership brings together stable funding, the strongest policy expertise and on-the-ground practical support to take a new approach to energy efficiency.

“We have a successful track record of designing and installing a range of energy efficiency measures and experience of delivering on a national scale. Over the next five years, we will be harnessing major government investment to install improvements in thousands of homes in Scotland. This is an important step in addressing fuel poverty and helping residents understand the opportunities of energy efficiency and access support.”