Successes

Provide free, impartial and professional energy advice

Helped over 3000 households in Perth and Kinross

Help households to become more energy efficient and reduce their energy bills

Our clients save an average of 15-20 percent on their energy bills and became more energy efficient at the same time

Tackle fuel poverty and reduce energy debt

Helped  115 households across Perth and Kinross to pay off over £71,000 of energy debt through The Scottish HOME HEATING SUPPORT FUND from April 2023 to March 2024.

The HEAT Project praised in the Scottish Parliament

In a recent Scottish Parliamentary debate about the Climate Cafe movement, several MSPs recognized the HEAT Project as a good example of a community-led project, delivering direct energy-saving advice and helping achieve significant savings in energy bills for households across the local area.

Our Mission

Reduce energy costs for vulnerable households

Our mission is support those most at risk of fuel poverty, high energy bills and cold homes, and energy consumers in vulnerable situations and improve their long term energy security.

Provide clear impartial advice

To deliver cost effective advisory services throughout Perth and Kinross including remote rural areas and make a real difference for vulnerable households, helping them save on energy bills, and reduce energy consumption.

Work with others

To establish and maintain trusted and honest relationships with communities, work with other groups dealing with cost-of-living issues to reach vulnerable households

Reduce energy debt

Guide households to sources of funding to clear existing debt and move towards long term energy security.

Help Improve Delivery of Scottish Government Targets

The HEAT Project timeline

THE HEAT Project start

2017
The HEAT Project was started in 2017 out of an idea formed by the Blairgowrie Climate Café.

Initially with funding from the Scottish Government Climate Action Fund, we have been providing free, impartial advice on reducing household energy use for over 3 years.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

2018

Over that time, we have given advice to over 250 households. Made over 150 home visits

PROJECT ACHIEVEMENT

2019

Helped reduce annual energy bills by over 15%. Reduced total annual CO2 emissions by over 1600 tonnes. Seen the installation of 38 wall and roof insulation schemes.Two Air Source Heat Pumps.Five Solar electric schemes. Twenty Woodburning stoves.

Support landlords/tenants

2020

Since April this year, we have been funded by the Safe Deposits Scotland Charitable Trust. With their generous funding, we have expanded out project area to include Coupar Angus, Blairgowrie and Rattray, Pitlochry, Dunkeld and Birnam and Aberfeldy – and all areas in between.We can now offer Covid 19 safe advice to private landlords and tenants in this area – free, independent, impartial and useful.

NEW JOURNEY

2021

The HEAT Project, part of Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust, has been awarded a grant of £99,045 over two years from Ofgem’s Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme.

We will continue to offer professional, effective, efficient, and reliable service to many more households in North Eastern and Highland Perthshire for a further two years.

A bigger area

2022

In September 2022, as part of actions to deal with the Climate Emergency and the Energy Price Crisis, Perth and Kinross Council has provided funding to The HEAT Project.

This allows us to double our team of energy advisors and to provide a service to households throughout Perth and Kinross.

Secured funding to continue our vital work

2024

We have helped over 3000 households reduce their energy bills by 15-20% in Perth and Kinross during the energy price crisis and cost of living crisis.