The office thermostat can be a point of discussion – or contention – at work, but the temperatures of our home workspaces get far less attention.
It’s likely there are more people in your organisation who are experiencing, or are at risk of, fuel poverty than you might think. Motivating and retaining talent amidst squeezed budgets, cost of living pressures and continued hybrid and remote working practices means the home heating conversation should now move up HR leaders’ agendas.
Many of us will have considered the warmth of our homes during the coldest January in Europe for 16 years. But with the rise of hybrid or remote working and scope three emissions reporting, home heating is increasingly an issue that requires honest discussion between employers and employees.
Hiding in plain sight
A recent survey found that 50% of people in Scotland state that their home is cold, with over a third being very concerned about being able to afford to pay energy bills this winter. Most pronounced in Scotland’s colder climes, there is still a UK-wide opportunity for employers to consider the warmth of their teams’ homes – and the support options available to manage home energy use – as an enabler of improved wellbeing, retention and performance.
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Stigma around fuel poverty can prevent those living in cold homes and struggling with energy bills from seeking advice and support. This can be even more pronounced in a workplace environment, especially if there are different working patterns within a team. As a result, the issue often goes underreported, leaving people without the help they need.
Our research also found that fuel poverty is particularly concerning for under-35s, creating an opportunity for employers to better engage younger employees on this important issue. Overall, households remain positive about the benefits of making changes to their home’s energy efficiency. The survey found that 61% of respondents would be motivated by the prospect of lower energy bills, further underlining the importance of the issue.
Wider range of emissions coming into scope
Many organisations are now reporting on the full scope of their carbon emissions, which can include the indirect emissions generated by employees working from home (classed as falling within ‘scope three’ emissions). As of December 2024, MSCI reported that 56% of listed companies reported at least some scope three emissions, and this number is increasing.
This category of emissions is amongst the hardest for companies to quantify and address, and the challenge is further exacerbated by the fact the UK has some of the least energy efficient homes in Europe, with corresponding higher carbon footprints.
Therefore, engagement with employees about managing their home energy use and providing support for sustainable home heating options is likely to become an increasingly important part of businesses’ wider Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations.
How HR professionals can engage
- Understanding the issue – If your workforce has a high proportion of home or hybrid workers, being cold whilst working from home is likely to affect at least some of your team. With 11% of people in the UK in fuel poverty, struggling with energy bills is likely to affect around 1 in 9. In Scotland, that figure increases to 1 in 3 (34%).
- Seeking assistance – There are a range of no or low-cost resources that can be offered to employees via support from energy advice charities; alternatively, via employee assistance programmes. We have first-hand experience seeing the positive impact that initiatives like our free low carbon living sessions can have through providing tailored information and support.
- Offering support – As this is a sensitive topic, a balance can be struck where discussions are opt-in, informal and ultimately focused on the many benefits these changes can drive. Offering support around home energy use can be seen as a natural extension of duty of care in a hybrid working environment and a caring workplace culture. This can naturally fit within wider organisational financial wellbeing policies or initiatives.
More efficient, sustainably heated homes reduce emissions, lift people out of poverty, and improve air quality. They are also warmer, healthier places to live, leading to better physical and mental wellbeing.
All of these characteristics, and the broad-based employee appetite for taking action to lower bills, underline the benefits for employers if they engage positively in this area. However, this requires acknowledgement of this challenge and careful handling, which is often under-discussed, despite having an outsize impact on people’s professional and personal lives. This isn’t something organisations or HR professionals have to do alone, and there are a wealth of resources available to help.
With hybrid working now commonplace across many organisations in the UK, ensuring colleagues benefit from energy advice and support has significant upsides for both businesses and individuals.
Josiah Lockhart is Chief Executive of Changeworks, a leading charity and social enterprise dedicated to delivering warmer, more efficient homes through services in energy advice, retrofit management, and decarbonisation solutions, alongside independent consultancy.
