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The Existing Homes Alliance | Scotland

campaigning for the transformation of Scotland's existing housing stock

Alliance response to Building Standards Energy Regulations Consultation

17 September 2018

Most of the focus of this call for evidence is on the application to regulations to new build properties. However, as 85% of the housing stock we have today will still be with us in 2050, there is an urgent need to tackle its energy performance and to apply improved standards to existing homes.

To help ensure climate change and fuel poverty targets are achieved, we believe that regulations should also apply in the following circumstances:

• Standards should be introduced as consequential improvements. This is a common approach in the construction sector, under which significant improvement works, such as those requiring planning permission, would also trigger a need to assess and if necessary upgrade energy efficiency.
• Similarly, standards should be introduced as a condition of accessing public funding to upgrade a house, whether or not planning permission is required.
• The introduction of standards should be accompanied by appropriate advice and incentives

EXHA_Building Regs consultation_Sept2018

Filed Under: Policy

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

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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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