Housing Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes 2026-27 Award of Funding
Renfrewshire Council · 18 August 2026
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 18 August 2026 and its agenda
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 18 August 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Housing Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2026/27 Award of Funding ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Renfrewshire Council has been awarded £2,061,38 for qualifying projects under the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland Area Based Schemes (EES: Abs) programme for 2026/27. 1.2 The report updates members on the funding process that has secured this investment and the projects which will be supported. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 Homologate the decision of the Head of Housing Services, in consultation with the Convenor, to accept the grant funding of £2,061,138 from Scottish Government’s Energy Efficiency Scotland Area Based Schemes (EES:Abs) programme, for qualifying projects within the Renfrewshire Council area for 2026/27. 2.2 Authorise the Head of Housing Services to oversee the delivery and operational management of the programme and notes an update on the outcomes delivered from the programme will be provided to a future meeting of the Policy Board.
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PUBLIC 3. Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Schemes (EES:Abs) 2026/27 3.1 The Scottish Government’s EES:Abs programme was formerly known as the Home Energy Efficiency Programme Scotland: Area Based Schemes (HEEPS: ABS) which was introduced in 2013/14. The programme is targeted at private sector homeowners to assist their participation and ensure projects to improve energy efficiency can proceed. The key objectives are to address fuel poverty, reduce carbon emissions and demonstrate an appropriate strategic fit and approach to improving energy efficiency. 3.2 The potential benefits of EES:Abs support a wide range of social housing initiatives including maintaining stock at the levels required by the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) as well as the requirements of the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) and the proposed Social Housing Net Zero Standard (SHNZS), and local authorities act as coordinating agents for all EES:Abs programmes for their area. 3.3 The Council has been allocated funding of £2,061,138 for 2026/27 for qualifying projects as set out below: 3.4 As in previous years, the Council has secured the services of a Managing Agent with the intention of offering support to private homeowners in areas where the Council has previously carried out investment programmes, but where houses and/or blocks were not included in our programme due to them being wholly privately owned. This project will provide the largest spend of the grant funding this and the costs of the Managing Agent role will be met in full by the EES:Abs funding. 3.5 Another project will target one remaining mixed tenure block in the Auchentorlie regeneration area and all of the owners within the mixed tenure blocks in the Howwood Road regeneration area who have agreed to participate in the improvement works. Works will include external wall insulation (EWI), solar PV and replacement windows. 4. EES:ABS Programme 2025/26 Update 4.1 In 2025/26 the Council was awarded £1,163,400 in EES:Abs grant funding to support the delivery of energy efficiency works to eligible private owners. Project Value of EES:ABS Managing Agent for Wholly Privately Owned Properties £1,773,138 Renfrewshire Council Regeneration Areas Mixed Tenure Blocks in Auchentorlie and Howwood Road £288,000 Total £2,061,138
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PUBLIC 4.2 A total of £252,663.95 of the EES:Abs grant funding was drawn down and used to support private owners across Renfrewshire. This was less than anticipated due to a number of factors that impacted on projects, such as higher than expected owner refusals in common blocks and difficulties that the managing agent had in obtaining necessary approvals. This led to the managing agent reprofiling works for completion in 2026/27. 4.3 The majority of grant expenditure in 2025/26 came via the managing agent programme, with the remainder being through the Council’s mixed tenure blocks investment projects. 4.4 Changeworks were appointed as a new managing agent in August 2025. Working in the Lochfield area where the Council has previously carried out investment programmes, and targeting eligible residents, they have been able to install external wall insulation and associated measures to 9 wholly private houses, utilising £169,263.95 of EES:Abs funding. A further 28 properties have signed up to the project but due to complexities of completing all necessary statutory approvals required, this meant that works could not proceed this financial year. These properties will be moved into the programme for 2026/27. 4.5 The Council’s mixed tenure blocks investment project delivered external improvement works including external wall insulation and associated measures to 20 flatted properties in projects across Renfrewshire. The grant funding allowed 7 private owners to benefit from these works, whilst works to a further 13 Council homes were funded by the Council through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital programme. 5. EES:Abs Programme 2026/27 5.1 Members should note that we are in a better position to spend the award this year, as the managing agent is now established, ready for continuity of works and has 28 properties already signed up. However, there are a number of complexities with delivering works in line with the grant funding requirement and tight timescales to complete works and draw down funding. Owner consultations, prevalence of private landlords, building warrant applications, requirement to achieve technical and quality standards and increasing cost of works may also impact on the scheduling of works and the timetable and ability to fully draw down all of the allocated EES:Abs funding for 2026/27. This will be managed by the Head of Housing Services in line with the Scottish Government’s funding criteria timescales. 5.2 An update on the outcomes of the 2026/27 programme will be provided to the Policy Board on completion of the programme. ___________________________________________________________________
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PUBLIC Implications of the Report 1. Financial – EES:Abs allocation of £2,061,138 for 2026/27 to support owner participation in a range of energy efficiency projects within the Renfrewshire area 2. HR & Organisational Development – None 3. Community/Council Planning – • Our Renfrewshire is thriving – assisting private owners to participate in programmes to improve housing conditions, making Renfrewshire a great place to live • Our Renfrewshire is well – improving housing conditions benefitting tenants and private owners. Addressing fuel poverty. • Reshaping our place, our economy, and our future – investment in the refurbishment of social rented and private dwellings will create jobs and contribute to the economy. 4. Legal – None 5. Property/Assets – Improvements in the energy performance of both social rented and private dwellings 6. Information Technology - None 7. Equality & Human Rights (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - None 9. Procurement – Procurement of suppliers to deliver some elements of this programme of work. 10. Risk - None 11. Privacy Impact – None 12. Climate Risk – Projects will contribute to reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency of both social rented and private dwellings. 13. Children’s Rights - None 14. COSLA Policy Position – None
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers (a) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 19 August 2025 – Housing Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2025/26 Award of Funding (b) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 20 August 2024 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2024/25 Award of Funding (b) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 22 August 2023 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2023/24 Award of Funding (c) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 16 August 2022 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2022/23 Award of Funding (d) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 17 August 2021 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2021/22 Award of Funding (e) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 20 August 2020 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2020/21 Award of Funding (f) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 20 August 2019 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2019/20 (g) Report to Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board on 12 March 2019 – Home Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes: 2019/20 ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Mark Brown, Housing Asset & Energy Strategy Manager Email: mark.brown@renfrewshire.gov.uk