Warmer Homes Scotland: annual review 2017 to 2018

Part 8: Conclusions and Recommendations Summary

Conclusions

The following matrix shows whether Warmer Homes Scotland is on track to meet its stated objectives.

• Fuel Poverty - On track
• Climate Change - On track
• Value for Money - On track
• Housing Stock - On track
• Community Benefits - On track

Recommendations Summary

Fuel Poverty

Recommendation 1 - Carried over from 2016/17 - Review the Warmer Homes Scotland customer journey from the point of referral to Warmworks through to the completion of an annual service visit (where required) to ensure that the full end-to-end process remains fit for purpose and meets the needs of those households referred to the scheme.

Recommendation 2 - It is anticipated that additional renewable measures and an enhanced offer of additional enabling measures will be introduced to Warmer Homes Scotland during 2018/19, following their introduction, review the impact on cancellation rates, in particular the rates of customer cancellations due to fuel type, no suitable measures or perceived upheaval and/or preparations works to the property.

Housing Stock

Recommendation 3 - The trends for the installation of both internal and external insulation measures offered under the scheme should be reviewed and analysed in the 2018/19 review to establish if the scheme is continuing to provide insulation measures to improve the energy efficiency ratings of properties inhabited by those households living in or at risk of living in fuel poverty. The analysis should also identify and examine regional trends in insulation measures installed.

Recommendation 4 - Review the data held on RdSAP ratings and locations and establish the relationship between the property type receiving measures installed under Warmer Homes Scotland and the RdSAP improvements post installation, with a view to establishing if no longer offering heating measures to those households in the private rented sector has impacted on SAP points gained. The review should also consider if the increase in the installation of energy efficient glazing and doors during 2017/18 results in a further decrease in SAP points gained during 2018/19.

Recommendation 5 - Carry out an in-depth analysis of the SAP points gained data to establish the associated investment and carbon emissions savings or SAP point gains per recipient household. This should include an analysis of SAP point gains by Measures installed and fuel types.

Recommendation 6 - Given the overall high percentage of total completed surveys that pass the Pennington Choices audit process, consideration should be given during 2018/19 to reducing the number of pre-installation surveys for audit, and increasing the number Work in Progress surveys during 2019/20.

Value for Money

Recommendation 7 - Carried over from 2016/17 - An appraisal of the strategies, processes or protocols Warmworks has in place to leverage additional financial support into Warmer Homes Scotland should be undertaken. This should focus on challenges faced in leveraging additional funding and how these can be overcome, seeking opportunities for leveraging funding from new sources and making any recommendations for improvement where required. This should also include an assessment of how this funding is being used on the ground i.e. what are the most common 'enabling' activities, the least common, the most expensive, any regional variations in activities, etc.

Community Benefits

Recommendation 8 - The outcomes of the audits of the Community Benefits requirement under the Warmer Homes Scotland contract should be a key focus of the 2018/19 Review.

Recommendation 9 - The process and outcomes of the auditing of the Living Wage and Security requirements of the Warmer Homes Scotland contract should be a key focus of the 2018/19 Review.