How to structure a household plan
The structure of a household plan and the main outcomes it enables
ALPHA
Structure of the plan
The household plan - whether a digital service, a series of leaflets, letters or in-person engagement - should be structured around three main outcomes. These outcomes reflect how residents make sense of area-based clean heating and how they move from awareness to engagement.
Outcome 1: Setting the scene
Aim:
Households understand why heating is changing locally, who is leading the work and the wider purpose.
How this is delivered:
1
Council-led communication
Communication about clean heating should be visibly led by the council, as residents associate council leadership with trust and legitimacy. The plan needs to demonstrate the council is owning and driving the initiative.
2
Providing context before technology
Low-carbon heating is unfamiliar to many households. Without a clear rationale for change, engagement can feel abstract or imposed.
The plan should therefore explain the problem being addressed and the purpose of the transition before introducing technologies.
Establishing the wider rationale first makes it easier for residents to engage with unfamiliar systems and approaches.
3
Connecting to purpose and impact
The narrative should clarify both household-level impact and wider neighbourhood outcomes.
This includes practical considerations such as comfort, reliability and costs over time, as well as how heating change connects to local investment, skills and community benefit.
Positioning the transition within a broader purpose helps it feel deliberate and locally meaningful.
Outcome:
Households encounter a clear explanation of why heating is changing, who is leading the work and what the intended outcomes are before being asked to consider specific technologies or decisions.
Outcome 2: Giving personalised, relevant advice
Aim:
Households can identify what is being explored for homes like theirs and understand how their tenure shapes their role.
How this is delivered:
1
Locating the household within the plan
Once context is established, residents want to understand what the transition means for their own home.
The plan should therefore clearly show which clean heating option is being explored for homes in their area.
Information should move from area-wide explanation to household-level relevance, so residents can see how the work applies directly to them.
2
Reflecting housing type and tenure differences
Their tenure strongly shapes how residents understand their ability to engage. So the plan should clearly address how occupancy type affects decision-making, responsibility and control.
For owner-occupiers, this may mean clarifying where authority sits directly with them and what actions they can take.
For tenants of private rentals and social housing, it should make clear who makes decisions and how they can stay informed or involved.
Addressing tenure differences early reduces confusion and supports a clearer understanding of individual roles.
Outcome:
Households can clearly see which clean heating option is being explored for homes like theirs and understand how occupancy type affects decision-making, responsibility and control. Residents should be able to understand the answer to two core questions:
What applies to my home?
What is my role?
Outcome 3: Present actionable next steps
Aim:
Households understand what the identified option involves in practice and what engagement and action could look like.
How this is delivered:
1. Explaining what the option involves in everyday terms
After identifying what applies to them, residents want to understand what the option would mean in practical terms.
Explanations should focus on what equipment would be present; where it would be located; whether anything would be inside, outside, underground or shared; and what day-to-day use might involve. Without this clarity, it is difficult for households to assess whether the option feels realistic or manageable.
When explaining why an option is being explored, justification should be grounded in recognisable factors such as housing type; street layout; density; or available space, rather than technical modelling.
2. Clarifying responsibility and process
Questions about consent, control and responsibility must be addressed clearly. The plan should explain how decisions are made, who organises delivery and what sits with residents versus landlords, housing providers or the council.
3. Providing predictability and sequence
Households benefit from understanding how change may unfold over time. The likely stages - from early information through to confirmation, installation and aftercare - should be visible so residents know what to expect and when they might be involved.
4. Making routes to action simple and supported
For those who wish to engage further, next steps should be clear and visible.
This may include registering interest, accessing independent advice, exploring installer options or understanding what funding or support may be available.
Signposting to trusted organisations and real-world examples supports confidence and reduces the sense of navigating alone.
Outcome:
Households understand what the identified option involves in practical terms, how decisions and responsibilities are structured, what sequence of events may follow and what engagement or action is possible for them. Residents should be able to answer two further questions:
What would this mean in practice?
What can I do next?
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