Changeworks has worked with Hillcrest Homes to improve the accuracy of its housing stock information and streamline reporting, laying stronger foundations for the association's retrofit programme.

Hillcrest manages more than 8,000 properties across seven local authority areas. To build an evidence-based path to net zero, the landlord sought to review and refresh its own records alongside datasets from the Energy Saving Trust (EST), while gaining the ability to model how energy efficiency upgrades and clean heating options would affect key archetypes — for example, demonstrating the impact of installing solar PV on four-in-a-block homes.

Drawing on five years of delivering bespoke housing stock analysis for over 40 registered social landlords, Changeworks processed Hillcrest's large dataset and adapted existing models to the association's needs.

To enhance the baseline, Changeworks collated Hillcrest's in-house databases with information from EST's Home Analytics tool and EPC data from the Scottish Government. The resulting single dataset offered a more accurate picture of current stock and a stronger platform for upgrade modelling.

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The consultancy assigned costs to each energy efficiency measure based on property characteristics and location, as well as standard costs agreed by stakeholders. It also applied RdSAP modelling to estimate expected annual CO2, financial and energy demand savings for each measure.

Changeworks further reviewed the data model underpinning Hillcrest's Power BI dashboards and proposed a restructured, best practice-aligned report format to make future reporting easier to build and maintain.

Stephen Strachan, Sustainability Manager for Hillcrest, said: "Changeworks has helped us build a clear picture of our housing stock and given us the confidence to plan our next steps. The enhanced modelling capabilities mean we can explore more scenarios and make better-informed decisions about our retrofit strategy.

"By tailoring the project to our needs, Changeworks has equipped us to move forward with confidence and continue delivering warmer, more energy-efficient homes for our tenants."

Marjan van de Weg, Principal Consultant at Changeworks, said: "What made this project a success was being able to combine Changeworks' experience in housing stock analyses and Power BI models with our understanding of Hillcrest's intentions with their data. We understood they did not need a new tool built from scratch, but rather advice on how to improve their data and achieve more with their current tools. This helped us to create a bespoke approach together, which resulted in a meaningful outcome for Hillcrest."