A new forum is set to help accelerate energy efficiency improvements in social housing in Midlothian.
The Midlothian Retrofit Partnership Forum brings together Midlothian Council, registered social landlords, and other key partners to coordinate efforts, share knowledge, and deliver retrofit initiatives to create warmer, more energy efficient homes that are cheaper to run for tenants.
According to the latest figures from the Scottish Government, 61% of social tenants are in fuel poverty and 32% are in extreme fuel poverty. The forum’s collaborative approach will look to help address the challenges whilst supporting Scotland’s net zero targets and improving comfort and wellbeing for tenants.
Forum members currently include Midlothian Council, Places for People Scotland, Melville Housing Association, Bield Housing & Care, and Changeworks. Between them, they will share best practice, pool expertise on funding, policy, and technical guidance, and work collectively to unlock opportunities for further large-scale retrofit delivery.
Nicola McIntosh, programme manager at Changeworks, commented, “We are delighted to be involved in the Midlothian Retrofit Partnership Forum. At Changeworks, collaboration is key to delivering warmer, greener homes and supporting Scotland’s journey to net zero. By sharing expertise and working collectively, we can accelerate retrofit projects and create lasting benefits for tenants and communities across Midlothian.”
Midlothian Council’s cabinet member for housing, councillor Stuart McKenzie, added, “Across Midlothian, too many households are struggling with rising energy costs, and we know that making homes warmer and more energy-efficient is one of the most effective ways to lift people out of fuel poverty. That’s why we are committed to this new partnership.
“By sharing expertise, unlocking funding, and accelerating retrofit programmes we can make a real difference to people’s comfort, wellbeing and household budgets while progressing our net zero ambitions.”
Claire Bailey, head of asset sustainability and innovation at Places for People Scotland, commented, “Improving the energy efficiency of our homes is one of the most important ways we can support our customers, particularly at a time when so many households are facing high energy costs. For Places for People Scotland, partnership is essential.
“By working collectively through the Midlothian Retrofit Partnership Forum, we can unlock the scale, funding and technical innovation needed to accelerate improvements across our communities.
“We are already investing significantly in modernising our homes and we are keen to access funding to support our own investment and help meet our net zero ambitions. This collaborative approach strengthens that work, ensuring we can deliver high quality, energy efficient homes faster and make a meaningful difference to our customers’ comfort, health and long-term affordability.”
Rich Murdoch, head of asset management at Melville Housing Association, said, “Ensuring that all Melville tenants have warm, comfortable and energy-efficient homes is one of our fundamental aims. We know we still have some way to go before we achieve this for everyone. That’s why we want to work with like-minded partner organisations, so that by pooling resources and expertise, we can speed up the delivery of this key strategic goal.
“We also know that through a reduction in long-term carbon emissions, better homes are better for the environment. By working closely with fellow Forum members, we all have a real opportunity to address the critical issue of fuel poverty and deliver meaningful improvements for our tenants.”
Organisations interested in contributing should contact Nicola McIntosh at nmcintosh@changeworks.org.uk.
