CIEH Leading Innovation Award 2026: Innovative and impactful Warm Powys scheme delivering ‘substantial’ benefits for communities

Warm Powys has been recognised on the national stage after winning the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) Excellence Award for Leading Innovation, celebrating a pioneering approach to improving health, wellbeing and energy efficiency in rural communities.

The award recognises the innovative Warm Powys scheme, led by Powys County Council and delivered alongside a range of specialist partners, for transforming how national energy-efficiency funding can be used to support vulnerable residents living in cold, hard-to-heat homes.

Pride at award recognition

Julian Preece (pictured above), Housing Policy, Performance & Standards Manager at Powys County Council and Warm Powys project lead, said the award is recognition not just of the programme itself, but of the positive difference it has made to people's lives.

"I am incredibly proud that the Warm Powys Scheme has been recognised through the CIEH Excellence Awards”, Julian said.

“While it is a personal honour to receive the award, I see it primarily as recognition of the benefits of partnership working and a genuinely innovative project that has made a real difference to people's lives.

"Warm Powys has demonstrated how environmental health, housing, energy efficiency and climate objectives can be brought together to improve health, wellbeing and living conditions for some of our most vulnerable residents. The award also highlights the value of taking a different approach to tackling fuel poverty in rural communities."

Addressing a rural challenge

Powys faces unique housing challenges, with many older, off-gas and difficult-to-heat homes spread across rural communities. Cold homes can increase health and safety risks, contribute to fuel poverty and negatively affect residents' wellbeing. Delivering energy improvements across such a diverse housing stock also presents significant logistical challenges.

Warm Powys was developed as an evidence-led, resident-first response to those issues. The programme transforms ECO4 Flex funding into a trusted local service, helping households improve energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and enhance living conditions through a supported whole-house retrofit approach.

Its objectives were clear: reduce damp and cold-related risks, improve comfort and energy performance, tackle fuel poverty, strengthen quality and accountability, and deliver lasting value for residents without requiring additional council capital investment beyond staffing costs.

Innovation beyond installation

What set Warm Powys apart from traditional retrofit programmes, and helped secure the CIEH award, was its focus on long-term outcomes rather than installation targets alone.

The scheme reinvests programme income, including declaration fees, directly into resident benefits and protections that are not normally available through standard ECO delivery. These UK-first measures include funded smart battery storage, mandatory post-installation EPC assessments, in-home commissioning and optimisation support, and an unlimited 12-year heat pump servicing package with full parts and labour warranty.

By focusing on lifetime performance and resident experience, Warm Powys tackles common barriers to retrofit success such as inconsistent workmanship, poor handovers, limited understanding of heating controls and a lack of follow-up support.

The scheme treats retrofit not simply as a housing improvement programme, but as a public health intervention that delivers measurable health, wellbeing and financial benefits.

A resident-first journey

Warm Powys delivers a whole-house, fabric-first approach that typically includes insulation and ventilation upgrades before introducing technologies such as air source heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage where appropriate.

Residents are guided through every stage of the process by a named coordinator, helping to reduce anxiety and avoid fragmented communication. Bilingual guidance, case management and tailored support ensure households are able to make informed decisions about energy improvements.

Quality assurance is embedded throughout delivery through commissioning checks, follow-up optimisation visits, independent satisfaction surveys and a robust "three strikes and out" installer policy.

The power of partnership

A key factor in the programme's success has been the collaboration between partners.

Powys County Council provides governance and strategic oversight, while fuel poverty charity Warm Wales coordinates delivery and resident engagement. Severn Wye Energy Agency provides Energy Advocates who help residents optimise heating systems and build confidence in their use. Interest-free finance is available through the Robert Owen Community Banking Fund, while organisations such as Age Cymru and Care and Repair help reach older, vulnerable and digitally excluded residents.

Reflecting on the programme's success, Julian highlighted the importance of collaborative working.

"Partnership working has been absolutely fundamental to the success of Warm Powys,” Julian said. “The scheme would not have achieved what it has without the expertise, commitment and shared vision of all the organisations involved.

"By bringing together partners with specialist knowledge in housing, energy advice, funding, retrofit delivery and community engagement, we created a genuinely resident-focused service that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

"Each partner has played a vital role, and the strength of those relationships has allowed us to overcome challenges, maximise funding opportunities and deliver better outcomes for residents. The success of Warm Powys is a powerful example of what can be achieved when organisations work collaboratively towards a common goal."

Delivering real results

The impact of Warm Powys has been substantial.

To date, the programme has delivered more than 8,800 energy-efficiency measures across over 1,200 homes, representing approximately £39 million of investment in homes across Powys.
Resident satisfaction consistently exceeds 93%, while homes have achieved major energy performance improvements, including examples of properties moving from EPC band G to band A.

Typical households save around £2,000 per year on energy bills, equating to an estimated £24 million of savings over 12 years across all participants. These improvements have been achieved while delivering long-term servicing, warranties and consumer protections at no additional council capital cost beyond staffing, thanks to the scheme's reinvestment model.

The programme has also helped strengthen local retrofit skills and supply chains, with its approach now adopted or endorsed by four other Welsh local authorities.

Looking ahead

Warm Powys continues to evolve in response to changes in the energy and funding landscape. Following the announcement of the end of ECO4 in 2025, the programme introduced an "able-to-pay" offer with grant support and interest-free loans to ensure residents could continue accessing home energy improvements.

For Julian, however, the greatest achievement remains the difference the programme has made to people's lives.

"Leading the development and delivery of Warm Powys has been one of the most rewarding projects of my career,” he said. “The greatest satisfaction comes from seeing tangible benefits for residents – warmer homes, lower energy bills, improved health outcomes and greater financial resilience.

"In a rural county like Powys, many households face significant challenges due to poorly insulated properties and off-grid heating systems. Seeing families experience genuine improvements in their quality of life, while also contributing to our wider decarbonisation ambitions, has made our hard work worthwhile.

"National recognition is a welcome bonus, but the real reward is the positive impact the scheme has had across communities in Powys."

The CIEH Excellence Award for Leading Innovation recognises Warm Powys as a pioneering model for tackling fuel poverty, improving public health and accelerating decarbonisation. Most importantly, it demonstrates how a resident-centred approach, backed by strong partnerships and long-term support, can deliver lasting change for communities across rural Wales.