Energy Saving Trust
Energy Saving Trust & Qualifications Scotland — National Recognition for Customer Service
Qualifications Scotland’s Credit Rating service allows organisations to enhance their training programmes by formally placing these on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), Scotland’s national framework for qualifications.
Awards on the framework are allocated an SCQF level, reflecting the level of difficulty, and SCQF credits, which indicate length of time taken to complete the training.
In 2017, Energy Saving Trust worked with Qualifications Scotland to have the Home Energy Scotland advisor induction programme credit rated on the SCQF.
The programme supports advisors who provide advice as part of Home Energy Scotland, a service funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Energy Saving Trust. Home Energy Scotland provides free, impartial advice and support to help households across Scotland make their homes warmer, reduce their energy bills and lower their carbon footprint.
Delivered through a network of regional advice centres, the service offers local knowledge and expert guidance by phone, in person home visits and digital channels. Advisors draw on a wide range of technical knowledge and tailor their advice to each household’s needs and circumstances.
As a Scottish Government-funded service, Home Energy Scotland must provide advice that is accessible, evidence based and factually correct. Advisors explain the options, answer questions clearly, and empower people to make informed decisions.
Energy Saving Trust wanted to strengthen the way advisor expertise was developed, assessed and recognised across the service, ensuring the induction programme:
- gave advisors a recognised qualification for their learning and development;
- reflected the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to provide an excellent standard of customer service;
- supported Energy Saving Trust’s business aims and contractual requirements; and
- strengthened confidence among partner organisations, funders and people using the service.
Qualifications Scotland’s extensive experience made this a straightforward process, reviewing Energy Saving Trust’s requirements and the Home Energy Scotland advisor induction programme in consultation with Qualifications Scotland’s network of subject experts to ensure that SCQF credit rating criteria were met.
A dedicated Qualifications Scotland point of contact provided support and advice on quality assurance at each step of the process.
Working with Qualifications Scotland has helped us give formal recognition to the specialist knowledge and skills behind Home Energy Scotland’s advice.
The advisor induction programme reflects the standards needed to provide expert, impartial and accessible support to households across Scotland. It gives advisors a clear and empowering journey from classroom training through to certification, helping them build confidence across advice delivery, customer service and compliance.
For us, the qualification supports our wider mission and gives us a clear, consistent way to evidence the standards required of the service. For householders, it means advice they can trust, delivered by advisors who are supported to excel from the start.
Energy Saving Trust is benefiting from increased skills and knowledge amongst staff and from greater consistency and control in their training, leading to improved working practices.
It’s important that advisors receive recognition for the knowledge and skills they develop during induction. The qualification also gives facilitators a shared structure for supporting development, assessing progress and maintaining consistent standards.
As Scotland’s national awarding body, and a founding member of the SCQF Partnership, Qualifications Scotland is uniquely placed to advise on credit rating and qualifications development. Qualifications Scotland’s Credit Rating service helps all types of organisations across Scotland benefit from positioning their in-house qualifications and training programmes on a national framework.
Qualifications Scotland is delighted to have built a strong relationship with Energy Saving Trust. Working together, we’ve managed to bring positive change to a key sector in Scotland. The Home Energy Scotland service is now recognised on the SCQF and provides clear development opportunities for their staff.
Our Credit Rating service can be applied to any organisation with their own in-house training programmes or qualifications.
Energy Saving Trust is an independent, profit for purpose organisation working to address the climate emergency. A respected and trusted voice on energy efficiency and clean energy solutions, it works with governments, businesses and individuals to help shape a smart, decarbonised and decentralised energy system.
Energy Saving Trust is proud of the high standard of advice, customer service and inclusive support delivered through Home Energy Scotland. Recent recognition includes the CCA Excellence Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the CCA Excellence Awards 2026, and CCA Global Accreditation for Customer Experience, marking our sixth consecutive year of accreditation.
The credit-rated Home Energy Scotland advisor induction programme helps maintain these standards by supporting advisors to provide expert, accessible and trusted advice to households across Scotland.