Aberdeenshire Council: A Decade of Energy Efficiency Retrofit Delivery

Sureserve Energy Services has partnered with Aberdeenshire Council since 2014 to deliver large- scale energy efficiency and housing improvement programmes across domestic and non-domestic properties. Over more than a decade, this long-term partnership has supported the Council’s ambition to reduce carbon emissions, tackle fuel poverty and raise housing standards across one of Scotland’s most diverse and largely rural regions. 

The Challenge

Aberdeenshire needed a delivery partner who could improve energy efficiency across mixed-tenure housing, manage complex rural delivery across a wide range of property types, and coordinate multiple funding streams against strict deadlines. Crucially, the Council also needed a partner able to address fuel poverty in hard-to- treat, off-gas and non-traditional homes spread across dispersed rural and coastal communities.

Our Approach

Area-Based Retrofit Delivery: Programmes were delivered using a whole-community, area-based retrofit approach, maximising uptake and impact across both private and social housing. Sureserve has worked in a trilateral delivery model alongside managing agent SCARF: the Council sets strategic direction, SCARF manages referrals and quality assurance, and Sureserve delivers the works on the ground.

Comprehensive Energy Efficiency Measures

Works have spanned external and internal wall insulation, loft and underfloor insulation, cavity wall insulation and upgrades, solar PV installations and battery storage, and re-roofing and fabric improvements. The programme has evolved from fabric-first measures into whole- house retrofit incorporating low-carbon technologies, including Low Carbon Innovation Technology pilots that decarbonised several public buildings, among them a community football stadium. From 2022, all works have been delivered in line with PAS 2035 retrofit standards.

Funding Expertise

Sureserve managed and optimised multiple funding streams, including Scottish Government schemes such as HEEPS:ABS, EES:ABS and SEEPS, alongside ECO funding secured through utility partners including Octopus, Scottish Power, EDF and British Gas, as well as local authority investment and private contributions. This blended funding approach maximised drawdown and reduced costs for residents, while regular partnership meetings and trend analysis kept delivery aligned with compliance requirements and the Council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan.

Scale of Delivery

Since 2014, Sureserve has delivered 10,000+ installations under HEEPS:ABS (2014–2018), a further 1,600+ installations between 2018 and 2022, and 1,000+ installations during the current 2022–2026 programme. This has included 1,300+ heating system upgrades, 150 solar PV installations and 30 domestic SEEPS upgrades, alongside non-domestic upgrades to community assets including local football facilities. Delivery has reached communities across Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Oldmeldrum, Inverurie and Banchory, supported by a regional supply chain of contractors based across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray, supplemented by Sureserve’s own labour where required.

Added Value

Beyond the scale of delivery, the partnership reflects over a decade of trust-based collaboration, early adoption of whole-house retrofit principles, and a successful transition to PAS 2035 compliance. Sureserve has worked closely with stakeholders including SCARF and local community groups, delivering across complex property types such as granite and other non-traditional homes, while supporting local suppliers through capacity planning and performance management.

The partnership has improved the energy performance of homes across the region, with over a third of upgraded properties now achieving EPC Band C or higher. This has translated into reduced carbon emissions at scale, lower energy costs for residents, and a measurable impact on fuel poverty, alongside enhanced community assets through non-domestic upgrades.

Looking Ahead

The partnership continues through to 2026 and beyond, supporting Aberdeenshire Council’s long-term decarbonisation strategy and its ongoing commitment to improving homes and communities across the region. More than a decade on, the relationship stands as proof that strong, trust-based collaboration can turn a single contract into a lasting programme of change.