Energy Systems Catapult launched the first trial of its Warm Home Prescription (WHP) programme delivered with an energy supplier on 8 May 2024, in partnership with ScottishPower1. ScottishPower becomes the first supplier to deliver the programme, which targets vulnerable households1.
Under the trial, the Catapult works with local NHS authorities to identify low-income households where people live with health conditions sensitive to a cold or damp indoor environment1. ScottishPower then arranges to supply and install improvements, which may include upgraded or new insulation in lofts, cavity walls and under floors, upgraded heating systems such as air source heat pumps and, where suitable, solar panels1. The cost is met at no cost to the householder through ScottishPower's Energy Company Obligation, the government scheme that sets targets for major suppliers to improve homes1.
The Catapult said previous trials delivered the Warm Home Prescription to over 1,000 homes in 2021/22 and 2022/23, and that emerging evidence from NHS data and householder feedback showed a decrease in primary care usage1. A survey found 76% of participants were more likely to welcome energy efficiency improvements in their home after experiencing a warm home through the trial1.
The new partnership aims to deliver measures for 1,000 households, with a long term ambition of supporting up to 2,0001. No completion date for the trial has been reported1.
"We know first-hand how much of a difference energy efficiency measures can make to households. For those dealing with illnesses that are made worse by living in a cold home, these upgrades could be life changing."
Why it matters for households
The trial tests a different route to funding for energy upgrades: instead of a household applying for support, health data is used to find homes where a cold or damp indoor environment is affecting someone's health, and the supplier then arranges the work1. For a household identified this way, insulation, heating or solar measures are installed at no cost, which the Catapult says can reduce heat lost through the building, cut energy consumption and lower annual bills1. The Catapult frames the trial as a way of directing government-backed support to low-income households with low Energy Performance Certificate ratings, and of allocating upgrade measures to those who need them most1. For homes with cold-sensitive conditions, the stated aim is a warmer home and potentially fewer hospital admissions1. The trial covers a set number of households rather than opening a general application route, and no details of how households outside the trial can access similar support have been reported1.
What happens next
The Catapult intends to scale the approach further and deliver measures for 1,000 households with ScottishPower, with a long term ambition of up to 2,0001. ScottishPower said its aim is to deliver ECO4 home improvements sooner rather than later1. The Catapult said it wants to hear from other energy suppliers or organisations interested in the approach1.
Sources1 cited
- First-of-its-kind Warm Home Prescription trial launched with ScottishPower, es.catapult.org.uk