Demand for urgent review as fuel poverty targets set to be missed despite £2m spending increase by housing associations
Plans to reduce the number of Scots living in fuel poverty by increasing the energy efficiency of social housing will not be met by 2032, despite a £2 million spending splurge by housing associations.
A new report by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) blames the Covid-19 pandemic for derailing progress and timescales, with the organisation predicting that the total percentage of households in fuel poverty will only be reduced from 38 per cent to 29 per cent over the next 11 years.
It is now calling for the Scottish Government to carry out an urgent and comprehensive review of its plans to make social housing more energy efficient.
Currently all social housing is expected to meet an energy efficiency rating of band B by the end of 2032, within the limits of cost, technology and tenant consent.
However new research by the SFHA has shown that just seven per cent of current housing association stock currently meets that rating and while
installing all the improvements needed to remaining properties, including insulation and boiler upgrades, would see this rise to 41 per cent, that would still leave 59 per cent of the stock unable to meet the target rating.
The report also found that while 49 per cent of housing associations had started work to meet the target, 65 per cent said their plans would take more than 10 years to implement and 80 per cent found sourcing funding and capital investment for the measures either ‘very challenging’ or ‘extremely challenging’.
Key among the challenges for 26 per cent of the organisations was upgrading Victorian or sandstone tenements, pre-1919 or older properties, off-gas properties, mixedtenure properties – and those with restrictions on upgrades as they are listed or in conservation areas.
Sally Thomas, SFHA Chief Executive, said: “The social housing sector has the most energy efficient homes in Scotland, and the Scottish Government’senergyefficiencystandards have helped to drive this.
"Good quality, warm, energy efficient homes have a key role to play in helping to tackle climate change and fuel poverty, and our members are working hard to try and combat these issues and meet the targets.”