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The Existing Homes Alliance | Scotland

campaigning for the transformation of Scotland's existing housing stock

Latest figures reveal too many Scottish homes still too cold, too damp

6 December 2016

The latest Scottish House Condition Survey has again demonstrated the urgent need for a significant increase in funding for home energy efficiency, the Existing Homes Alliance has argued today. The figures [1] show that nearly 750,000 households are still in fuel poverty, almost one home in three, with 200,000 households in extreme fuel poverty.

The Alliance welcomes the fact that fuel poverty has reduced by 4%, but this small drop is partly related to lower fuel prices – which is at best a temporary situation. Improved energy efficiency has made a real difference, thanks to government investment, with rates of fuel poverty lowest in the most energy efficient properties. The Existing Homes Alliance [2] is urging Ministers to adopt the recommendation of the Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group that all homes should be brought up to at least an EPC band C by 2025 [3]. These latest figures show that more than half of Scotland’s housing stock is still below this minimum level, keeping fuel bills unnecessarily high and contributing to ill health and early deaths.

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Filed Under: News

10 Key Recommendations

1 The Energy Efficient Scotland Programme, the cornerstone of the National Infrastructure Priority for energy efficiency, should have a statutory underpinning, including a target for the vast majority of housing (where technically feasible and appropriate) to reach the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2030.

2 The introduction of new regulation and planning controls, backed by market incentives, to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes.

3 Scotland-wide area-based schemes to deliver retrofit of existing homes, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, street by street, alongside a national, demand led programme.

4 A range of financial incentives to encourage investment in energy efficiency and micro-generation.

5 New service offerings, products and packages for retrofit.

6 Better information on household energy use and its carbon emissions for consumers.

7 Better energy performance data on existing housing.

8 Reliable quality control and up-skilling on low and zero-carbon technologies.

9 A major programme to catalogue and showcase existing and ongoing exemplar low energy refurbishments.

10 Maximise use of devolved powers and influence UK policy to improve energy efficiency.

Learn more »

About us

The Existing Homes Alliance Scotland is a coalition calling for urgent action to transform Scotland's existing housing stock and make it fit for the 21st century. Too many of Scotland's homes are in a poor condition meaning unnecessarily high fuel use.

We gratefully acknowledge funding support from the William Grant Foundation.

Recent Updates

  • Alliance welcomes ambitious Heat in Buildings Strategy and call for fuel poverty budget boost to achieve goals
  • Alliance says Budget must go further to deliver a green recovery and tackle fuel poverty
  • Evidence to Scottish Parliament’s Scrutiny of the Climate Change Plan Update

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Join our campaign to ensure there are no households in Scotland living in a hard-to-heat, draughty home by 2030. We urge the Scottish Government to use the once in a generation opportunity of the Energy Efficient Scotland programme and the Fuel Poverty Bill to transform Scotland’s homes for the better, put an end to fuel poverty and seize the opportunities of a low carbon future.

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