Monday September 15th 2025
Loft Insulation
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
As Autumn cold kicks in around Scotland, a new survey has shown that 30% of Midlothian residents say their home is usually or always cold, or not as warm as they’d like. The increase in energy bills has led 66% of people in the area to think differently about how they use energy in their home and 44% of people to make cutbacks to afford their energy bills.
The findings come from Scotland-based social enterprise Changeworks which provided energy-saving advice and measures to 215,943 households across Scotland in the last three years, according to a new report released today.
In its latest impact report, Changeworks revealed how a range of energy advice and energy efficiency measures such as insulation – delivered across social housing, rented and privately owned homes – made a real difference to householders, including those in Midlothian.
In 2024-25 alone, Changeworks and its joint venture, Warmworks’ services, saved 366,677 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from 655,809 UK households’ electricity use.
Over the same period, Changeworks’ services provided energy and money-saving support to 47,193 people across Scotland.
Changeworks has highlighted a “dual challenge” for many households, including those in Midlothian, saying that the financial burden of heating their homes whilst minimising the environmental impact associated with many current heating technologies such as gas boilers, with cost being the main barrier to retrofit.
Across the UK, 61% of people living in social housing and 34% of the general population struggle to afford their energy bills. Because the UK has some of the leakiest and most inefficient homes in Europe, they produce 13% of Scotland’s carbon emissions, and 39% of Scots say their home is often or always cold.
The economic benefit to improving home energy efficiency in Midlothian is significant.
To meet Changeworks’ stated ambitions for future delivery over its next 5-year strategic period, more needs to be done, including across the Midlothian Council area where 66% of residents say that the increase in the cost of energy bills led them to think differently about how they use energy in their home.
While there are government efforts, such as the expected Heat in Buildings Bill at Holyrood, its narrowed scope means that Changeworks is calling for cross-sector collaboration to develop new services and unlock funding to deliver home retrofit at scale.
Recent research shows that over three quarters (76%) of Scots say reducing social inequalities like fuel poverty is important for legislation.
Josiah Lockhart, Chief Executive of Changeworks, said:
“As the findings show, a lot of people in Midlothian are struggling to adequately heat their homes. They are also all too aware of the climate crisis, and the responsibility each of us has to do our bit to reduce our impact.
“Our expertise and scale empower householders and social housing providers to make homes warmer and cheaper to run, whilst addressing climate concerns in very practical ways. While our record of delivery and organisational growth over the past three years has been encouraging, it is now vital that home energy efficiency is seen as a huge opportunity for cross-sector working.”
“The social, economic and environmental benefits of our approach are clear. We will continue to innovate and work across sectors to develop the business models that we know can deliver affordable warmth for all – this includes working with employers via our Low Carbon Living sessions for employees, supporting householders directly through our Green Energy Helpline and working with organisations through our consultancy and project management services.”
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