What a result that we've helped a Hampden-sized crowd heat their homes

For most people, particularly those still scraping their jaws from the floor after what had just transpired during the nation’s decisive World Cup qualifier, it was an unimportant and unexceptional footnote on a night that will otherwise live long in the memory.

But the attendance figure did jump out at me as I read the match report the following day.

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The reason for this was because, back in November, it was almost exactly the same as the number of homes in Scotland that had been upgraded by the Warmworks team under the Scottish Government’s flagship Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS) scheme.

As Chief Executive, I normally would not be dwelling on the specific tally, but this was an important one. It meant the scheme was on the brink of reaching the milestone of having helped 50,000 homes.

Last month, it did just that. To mark the occasion, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney visited our offices in Edinburgh and met the 50,000th customer, Sandra Owen.

It was a moment for everyone involved to pause and reflect on the journey we have been on.

Since 2015, we have worked with the Scottish Government as the Managing Agent for WHS, which offers funding for wall insulation, loft insulation, draught-proofing, renewables and central heating – including new air source heat pumps or gas boilers. We’ve made this possible by building, supporting and maintaining a nationwide supply chain of more than 30 local Scottish businesses, all of whom are accredited to Warmworks’ industry-leading standards and have been an integral part of the scheme’s success story.

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In the last year alone, a record- breaking 7,334 households received upgrades under the scheme, which has a 99% customer satisfaction rate.

Warmer homes are not the only positive impact delivered by the scheme, however.

A recent Impact Report showed how energy efficiency measures carried out by the organisation across the UK had cut CO2 output by a total of more than 10,000 tonnes in 2024/25 alone, with the vast majority of the upgraded homes located in Scotland.

That’s the equivalent environmental benefit of growing around 500,000 trees or taking almost 7,000 cars off the road.

This included installing more than 1,400 zero emissions heating systems in 2025, which is more than in any other year to date.

Just like Steve Clarke and his squad, however, we are acutely aware that our job is not done yet.

While they have turned their attention to the challenge of facing the likes of Brazil and Morocco at the World Cup in June, we must focus on the hundreds of thousands of other people and families across Scotland who are still to enjoy the warmer homes and cheaper bills that the scheme can provide.

Ross Armstrong is the Chief Executive of Warmworks