Who we are

HeatHack is a group of community volunteers that helps churches and other community groups understand how to heat their buildings better. We started in and around Edinburgh in Scotland with groups that were cold but had high gas bills. We understand the things community groups find difficult because that’s where we come from - we had to learn everything from scratch to do our work. We have always combined a bit of technology for temperature monitoring with engineering and a lot of thinking about what people actually do when they are in buildings. In 2010, it was just Jean Carletta and an engineer who saw her looking at the heating controls scratching their heads over some interesting problems in an Edinburgh church. HeatHack grew from there. Our prize find so far is one church-owned modern space that we’re pretty sure had been heated 24/7 for 10 years accidentally.

Our current programme has been developed and is being run in conjunction with The Surefoot Effect, a Community Interest Company. It has been completed by around 35 groups from across the UK with secular and sacred buildings from all eras, although how to think about Victorian buildings with low occupancy, high ceilings, leaky windows, and old heating systems is still something of a speciality for us.

Since 2012, Surefoot has been helping communities, businesses and governments put carbon reduction and care for the environment at the heart of strategy. We work at every level, locally, nationally and internationally to support the essential paradigm shift needed to protect people and the planet. Our continued success lies in the values-based, people and process-led approaches we use and tailor to each project.

Engineers without Borders UK helps us find engineers for community groups who cannot find them for themselves.

Engineers Without Borders UK is working to reach the tipping point to ensure a safe and just future for all. Part of a global movement of over 60 Engineers Without Borders organisations, we inspire, upskill and drive change in the engineering community and together take action to put global responsibility at the heart of engineering.

This project was supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Ingenious Awards programme. We are very grateful for their support!

Harnessing the power of engineering and technology to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone.

HeatHack has previously been funded by the John Templeton Foundation via Scientists in Congregations Scotland, with small contributions from the University of Edinburgh Schools of Informatics and Engineering and the University of St Andrews School of Computer Science and with the help of engineering, computer science, and design students. The University of St Andrews Entrepreneurship programme is currently helping us think about how to sustain what we do financially.