Scarf and NHS Grampian have recently taken part in a joint trial with Energy Systems Catapult to provide people at-risk from a pre-existing health condition (namely COPD), who are struggling to pay their energy bills, with a warm home.
The aim of this pilot was to pay for the energy usage required to keep two rooms of the home (living room and bedroom) at 18 degrees. This created a comparison of the cost of energy vs cost of keeping vulnerable households out of hospital, and inform how warm, healthy homes can be delivered at a Net Zero Impact.
The trial ran from November 2022 – March 2023, and the results of the trial were presented at the recent Energy Action Scotland Conference. There were 486 households engaged with the pilot, with £300,000 having been paid to qualifying households across the NHS Grampian area. Scarf is planning outside of this pilot to follow up with householders to see if visits are required to provide onward support.