Changeworks

What Changeworks does

Changeworks Resources for Life Ltd is a Scottish environmental charity and company limited by guarantee (registered in Scotland, charity SC015144), headquartered in Edinburgh with a secondary office in Inverness. Founded in 1987/1989, the organisation delivers energy efficiency advice, whole-house retrofit coordination, and fuel poverty support across Scotland, working through three principal channels: the Scottish Government-funded Home Energy Scotland advice service (delivered in South East and Highlands and Islands on behalf of the Scottish Government and Energy Saving Trust); the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Schemes (EES:ABS), where Changeworks is the largest delivery agent in Scotland; and the Local Energy Scotland consortium delivering CARES. Its core paid product is EcoCosi, an end-to-end home retrofit service launched in 2023 for homeowners, complemented by Affordable Warmth Services (specialist fuel poverty advocacy) and a portfolio of consultancy and managing-agent services to housing associations and local authorities, including housing stock analysis using EPC data, impact evaluation, and Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund support.

The underlying technology stack is conventional rather than proprietary: Microsoft 365 (with Copilot deployed for internal productivity), Microsoft Power BI for housing stock mapping (notably the Loreburn Housing Association interactive map), Cloudflare for web security, Eploy for recruitment, Hotjar and Google Analytics for digital analytics, and standard marketing pixels. Customer-facing technology is service-led rather than platform-led, with the Home Energy Scotland contact centre as the primary digital and telephony engagement layer. No public-facing API or SDK is offered. Business model funding is primarily grant-based: the Scottish Government is the principal funder through programme contracts, supplemented by a near-£1.5m National Lottery award in December 2024 for the Highland Energy Community Partnership. Consultancy and managing-agent work for housing associations and councils is the principal fee-earning revenue stream and is quote-based. Services to householders are free at point of use. Reported impact includes 64,000+ householders supported, 13,000 homes helped, £13.6m in delivered energy efficiency improvements, 3,500+ insulation measures installed, and 900+ low carbon technologies installed.

Name

Changeworks

Legal name

Changeworks Resources for Life Ltd

Website

https://changeworks.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Changeworks is a Scottish environmental charity delivering energy efficiency advice, home retrofit coordination, and fuel poverty support across Scotland, serving householders, housing associations, and local authorities through Scottish Government-funded programmes and paid consultancy services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK)

Keywords

• Energy efficiency services
• Home retrofit services
• Fuel poverty support
• Energy advice
• Decarbonisation consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: Primary funding from Scottish Government through Home Energy Scotland and related energy efficiency programs. Funding supports free services to householders experiencing fuel poverty.
2. Consultancy Services: Paid consultancy services to housing associations and local authorities for energy efficiency retrofit projects and decarbonisation planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Changeworks is a Scottish environmental charity that delivers energy efficiency retrofit installations, free energy advice, and decarbonisation consultancy. It runs Scotland's Home Energy Scotland advice service in South East and Highlands and Islands, delivers EcoCosi end-to-end home retrofit, Affordable Warmth fuel poverty support, and area-based insulation/heating schemes for households and housing associations. Services are funded primarily by the Scottish Government, the National Lottery, and paid consultancy engagements with local authorities and housing providers.

Product overview

Changeworks is a Scottish environmental charity offering a comprehensive portfolio of energy efficiency and decarbonisation services. The core offerings include EcoCosi (an end-to-end home retrofit service for homeowners), Home Energy Scotland (free impartial advice on energy efficiency), and Affordable Warmth Services (specialist support for fuel-poor households). These are supported by delivery services including Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Schemes (EES:ABS) for large-scale energy efficiency installations, Local Energy Scotland/CARES for community renewable energy, and consultancy services for housing stock analysis and impact evaluation. The company also offers managing agent services for retrofit delivery, quality assurance, and support for Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund projects. Services are delivered through partnerships with Scottish Government, local authorities, housing associations, and community groups across Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EcoCosi: An end-to-end home retrofit service for homeowners, providing support to improve the energy efficiency of homes through retrofit measures.
• Affordable Warmth
• Home Energy Scotland

Products and services

• EcoCosi Retrofit Service End-to-end home retrofit service for Scottish homeowners that delivers whole-house energy efficiency upgrades from initial assessment through installation, targeting home comfort and reduced energy bills.
• Home Energy Scotland Free, impartial expert advice service delivered in South East and Highlands and Islands on behalf of the Scottish Government and Energy Saving Trust, helping households keep warm for less and identifying funding opportunities for energy efficiency measures.
• Affordable Warmth Services In-depth energy advice and advocacy service for people in fuel poverty, specialising in resolving billing and debt issues, helping vulnerable households access emergency funds and negotiate with energy suppliers.
• Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Schemes (EES:ABS) Largest delivery agent of Area Based Schemes in Scotland, helping households in fuel-poor areas tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions through large-scale insulation and heating upgrades.
• Local Energy Scotland / CARES Consortium programme delivering the Scottish Government's Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), supporting communities to engage with and benefit from the energy transition to net zero.
• Retrofit Delivery (Managing Agent Services) Expert managing-agent services for retrofit installations, coordinating delivery for local authorities, housing associations and individual householders across Scotland.
• Housing Stock Analysis Analysis services using EPC data and building assessments to develop archetype-based approaches for retrofit strategy planning by housing associations and local authorities.
• Impact Evaluation Research and evaluation services evidencing the real-world impacts of energy efficiency improvements and decarbonisation projects for funders and partners.
• Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund Support Support services for housing associations and local authorities to develop and deliver Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund projects.
• Green Energy Helpline Free helpline providing impartial advice on smart meters, energy tariffs, and electric vehicles for Scottish householders.
• Low Carbon Communities Community engagement services supporting communities and individuals to start or continue their journey to low carbon living through workshops, sessions and events.
• Social Tenant Support Service Pilot support and advice service for social housing tenants delivered in partnership with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and five housing association partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported 64,000+ householders with energy efficiency improvements
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Energy Scotland ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChangeworks is part of the Local Energy Scotland consortium alongside Energy Saving Trust, The Energy Agency, and SCARF. The consortium delivers the Home Energy Scotland programme, Scotland's national energy advice service funded by the Scottish Government.
• Loreburn Housing AssociationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStrategic partnership for delivery of energy efficiency retrofit projects to housing stock. Loreburn and Changeworks have collaborated on innovation awards for decarbonisation work. Case study relationship demonstrating retrofit expertise.
• Scottish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder and strategic partner through energy efficiency and fuel poverty programs. Scottish Government funding supports free services to householders and enables delivery of Home Energy Scotland programme.
• Energy Saving TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Local Energy Scotland consortium. Energy Saving Trust provides expertise and network support for energy efficiency delivery across Scotland.
• The Energy AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Local Energy Scotland consortium, contributing to delivery of national energy advice services and retrofit programs.
• SCARFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Local Energy Scotland consortium, working on energy efficiency and fuel poverty reduction across Scottish communities.
• Lochbroom and Ullapool Community TrustminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommunity partnership for delivery of energy efficiency advice and services in Highland communities. Part of community-based approach to fuel poverty reduction.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Energy Saving Trust: UK-wide charity delivering energy efficiency advice and programmes; co-partner with Changeworks in the Local Energy Scotland consortium and the wider Home Energy Scotland delivery structure, sharing identical mission and beneficiary base.
• The Energy Agency: Scottish/UK charity focused on energy efficiency advice, fuel poverty and community energy projects; co-member of the Local Energy Scotland consortium alongside Changeworks, with overlapping service portfolio and funding dependencies.
• SCARF (Scottish Charitable Action for Reducing Fuel Poverty): Scottish charity delivering fuel poverty advice and energy efficiency support; consortium peer of Changeworks within Local Energy Scotland, addressing the same vulnerable householder segment.
• National Energy Action (NEA): UK-wide fuel poverty charity providing energy advice and advocacy services to vulnerable households; closely comparable to Changeworks' Affordable Warmth service in mission and beneficiary profile.
• Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE): UK charity delivering energy efficiency advice, retrofit programmes and fuel poverty support; very similar service mix to Changeworks including local authority partnerships and Home Energy-style advice delivery.
• Energy Action Scotland: Scottish campaigning and advisory charity focused on fuel poverty and energy efficiency; advocacy-led peer operating in the same Scottish policy and housing ecosystem as Changeworks.

Broad incumbents

• Citizens Advice: National advice charity covering energy bills, fuel debt and consumer rights through local bureaux; broader than Changeworks but overlapping significantly on energy advice and debt casework for vulnerable clients.
• National Grid Community Energy Programme: Utility-affiliated community energy and fuel poverty funding programme in the UK; competes for the same government/municipal funding pool as Changeworks, though from a commercial utility base.

Regional players

• Severn Wye Energy Agency: Energy agency covering Wales and the West of England with comparable retrofit advice, fuel poverty programmes and local authority partnerships; useful comparator for scale and business model outside Scotland.

Emerging players

• Cosy Homes Oxfordshire: Local authority-backed one-stop-shop retrofit service for owner-occupiers; a direct functional analogue of Changeworks' EcoCosi in the English retrofit one-stop-shop model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChangeworksUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/changeworks
• Xx.com/changeworksuk

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Changeworks