EcoCosi: A People‑Powered Approach to Retrofit at Scale

Welcome to our Partnerships Insider series. Our first guest blog comes from Changeworks and their EcoCosi service. Thank you to Changeworks for providing us with this spotlight!

Changeworks is a leading charity and social enterprise based in Scotland, with a long track record of delivering energy efficiency, fuel poverty and decarbonisation services in partnership with local authorities and housing providers. In 2023, Changeworks expanded its reach into the able‑to‑pay consumer market through EcoCosi – a holistic, end‑to‑end retrofit service designed to support homeowners and landlords to improve their homes with confidence.

A flexible model that meets people where they are

EcoCosi is a tiered service model that recognises that households can be at different stages of their retrofit journey when they seek support. Rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all solution, EcoCosi’s range of services lowers barriers to entry while enabling deeper engagement over time.

Support ranges from early‑stage advice through the Energy Redress-funded Click to Retrofit online tool pilot being delivered in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Excellence, to consultation calls, whole‑home assessments and home transformation reports, right through to installer coordination, project facilitation and quality assurance. This whole‑home, fabric‑first approach ensures measures are tailored to each property and sequenced appropriately, while trusted installers via EcoCosi’s vetted installer network and independent oversight help generate confidence and reduce perceived risk.

Engaging with the market

Home retrofit is complex and can feel daunting for homeowners – especially the financial element. EcoCosi aims to communicate its comprehensive offer in a way that feels accessible rather than intimidating. Retrofit is a long‑term purchase decision, not a snap purchase – meaning trust, clarity and relevance are key.

Marketing messaging that has performed best includes focussing on home comfort, energy efficiency and home improvement, rather than leading solely with climate arguments. Short, question‑led copy (“Is your home losing heat?”) and seasonal framing – such as the highly successful EcoCosi Summer Sale campaign – consistently outperform more technical or abstract messaging.

Putting people at the heart of the service marketing is what really drives engagement. This has included client case studies, videos and “meet the team” stories, helping demystify retrofit and introduce EcoCosi’s Retrofit Coordinators as trusted expert guides.  This is backed up by a content marketing approach: FAQs, educational resources and plain‑English explanations that support householders to build confidence over time.

Overcoming key barriers through trust and insight

Marketing retrofit services comes with persistent challenges. Research shows affordability concerns, uncertainty about savings, lack of information and fear of “cowboy builders” remain significant barriers. At the same time, many households are deeply worried about rising energy bills – creating a tension between short‑term cost concerns and long‑term benefits.

EcoCosi has adapted by taking a data‑led, insight‑driven approach to marketing and engagement. Campaigns are targeted using postcode data and housing archetypes, combined with a phased strategy that builds awareness first, then supports lead generation and conversion through remarketing and follow‑up.

Trust‑building is critical. Alongside digital activity, EcoCosi invests in events, hyper‑local channels and conversations with the Retrofit Coordinator experts.

Measuring success and impact

For Changeworks, success is about more than volume. Recent milestones demonstrate both impact and momentum: the Summer Sale campaign delivered strong engagement, while the Click to Retrofit pilot marked a significant step in widening access to retrofit advice and support.

Performance to date shows steady growth across all stages of the EcoCosi pathway, from early‑stage plans through to completed whole‑home retrofit projects. Just as importantly, EcoCosi is proving that a people‑powered, trust‑led model can engage the able‑to‑pay market in a way that supports quality, confidence and long‑term change.

In the first 12 months of delivery, the service:

• Engaged more than 5,000 unique users  
• Had 370 households register for EcoCosi
• Supported 60 households on their retrofit journey with projecting savings of 168,000 kg of CO₂ annually and reducing average household bills by £1,000 per year.

Conversion through the different stages of the service has demonstrated clear value for trusted support, with over 70% of customers who engage in a retrofit assessment and plan moving on to taking advantage of the vetted contractor network and procurement stages.

By combining flexible service design, insight‑led marketing and a clear focus on people, EcoCosi offers a compelling example of how retrofit can be delivered at scale without losing sight of the householders at its heart.

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Find out more at www.changeworks.org.uk/ecocosi

For organisations interested in discussing and sharing learnings and developments for the service, please contact Sam Cribb, Development Manager, at scribb@changeworks.org.uk

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