Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution has announced a new partnership with a leading energy efficiency charity to provide free, tailored advice and support to customers across its north of Scotland and central southern England licence areas.
This new referral partnership – delivered by the charity Changeworks in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) – will help households get support with fuel poverty, energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies, with services shaped to meet the different needs of communities across SSEN’s diverse distribution areas.
Customers referred through SSEN will be offered support by telephone, online or in person, depending on their circumstances and the type of help they need. The service will provide practical guidance to help people reduce energy use, better understand their bills, explore available funding and consider low-carbon technologies that could help them save money over the longer-term.
The partnership will also proactively identify customers in need of support through its outreach work. This will include, for example, raising awareness of and supporting people to be added to the Priority Services Register, issuing packs of energy efficiency items they can use at home, and understanding what options they have to enable changes that will make their homes more sustainable.
This new way of working together combines leading social enterprise and charity Changeworks’ long-standing experience and expertise in delivering energy efficiency advice and support in Scotland, with CSE’s established work across central southern England delivering SSEN’s Cosier Homes Advice project alongside CSE’s Warm & Safe Wiltshire service.
SSEN’s Director of Customer Operations, Eliane Algaard, says, “We know that many of our customers are looking for trusted, practical advice to help them manage energy costs, improve the comfort of their homes and make informed choices about low-carbon technologies.
“By working with Changeworks, we can offer our customers access to specialist support that reflects the different needs of the communities we serve, from rural and island locations in the north of Scotland to towns and cities across central southern England.
“This partnership builds on the support we already provide for customers who may need extra assistance and enables us to help even more households to access the right advice at the right time.”
Changeworks has been delivering energy efficiency measures for housing and providing expert energy advice and advocacy for almost four decades, to support affordably warm, healthier and more energy efficient homes. Alongside providing energy advice and retrofit management services, Changeworks develops innovative retrofit solutions working with partners across the UK and offers independent consultancy services.
Morven Masterton, Head of Community Engagement and Energy Advice Services at Changeworks, adds, “Changeworks is delighted to be partnering with CSE to deliver this important SSEN initiative, supporting customers across the two regions. Together, our organisations bring extensive local knowledge, strong partnerships, and well-established networks. By integrating this programme into the existing support available in each area, we will be able to maximise its reach and deliver an even greater impact for the customers and communities we serve.”
CSE is an independent charity with over 45 years’ experience helping people across the UK live in warm, affordable homes. Through its energy advice services, CSE supports thousands of households each year with cold homes, high bills and energy debt, providing free, impartial guidance from quick fixes to in-depth casework for people in complex situations. CSE has worked with SSEN since 2021 on the Cosier Homes Advice project, which covers central southern England and also works alongside CSE’s established Warm & Safe Wiltshire service.
Karn Shah, Head of Advice at the Centre for Sustainable Energy, says, “Energy bills remain high, and more people are struggling to keep up. This new partnership with Changeworks and SSEN means we can reach even more households who need practical, impartial advice to help them cut their bills, ensure their homes are a safe temperature and more energy efficient, and understand their route to a low-carbon future.
“That’s what our CSE energy advisors do every day, and being able to extend that support through this project is exactly the kind of collaboration that can make a real difference in someone’s life.”
Through this new partnership, SSEN and Changeworks will work closely together to help customers more easily access the advice they need to support warmer homes, lower bills and a fair transition to a low-carbon future.