Written Question · S4W-29620 · Session 4
In light of the finding from the Scottish House Condition Survey 2012-2014 that the levels of fuel poverty and extreme fuel poverty had inc…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the finding from the Scottish House Condition Survey 2012-2014 that the levels of fuel poverty and extreme fuel poverty had increased in some areas, what steps it is taking to work with (a) charities, (b) local authorities and (c) other public bodies to reduce the level of fuel poverty.
The answer
The most recent statistics on fuel poverty were published in December 2015 (Scottish House Condition Survey: Key Findings 2014 http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/12/8460) and do not show an increase in fuel poverty between 2013 and 2014. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2012-2014 publication is based on a different time period to the national report. It is based on three year rolling averages to ensure reasonable sample sizes for local authority analysis and is therefore not designed to measure year-on-year change. Given the small sample sizes and overlapping samples, the local authority results in this publication do not show a statistically significant increase in fuel poverty and extreme fuel poverty between 2011-13 and 2012-14 for any local authority area.
Local authorities have been key delivery partners for a number of our fuel poverty programmes, including the Home Insulation Scheme, Universal Home Insulation Scheme and Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland: Area Based Schemes. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with them. This year the majority of the Scottish Government budget for fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes is directed at the Area Based Schemes which are delivered by all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities and prioritise fuel poor areas, providing a range of insulation measures for private sector properties. Enabling funding is also provided to councils to assist in developing schemes and engage with householders.
We are listening to a wide range of stakeholders as we develop our approach on tackling fuel poverty. We have set up the short term Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group to work alongside the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum and the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force to build on our efforts to date and drive forward the fuel poverty agenda. Charities including Energy Action Scotland, Age Scotland, the Poverty Alliance and the Child Poverty Action Group are represented on these groups, as are other public bodies, including NHS Scotland.
We are also supporting (via loan funding) Our Power, the UK’s first fully licensed non-profit distributing energy supplier. Our Power has been established by a consortium of registered social landlords to supply their tenants with energy on a tariff that is lower than the equivalent offered by the major suppliers. This should help increase competition in the energy supply market and be of particular benefit to a group of consumers which is particularly vulnerable to fuel poverty.
Local authorities have been key delivery partners for a number of our fuel poverty programmes, including the Home Insulation Scheme, Universal Home Insulation Scheme and Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland: Area Based Schemes. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with them. This year the majority of the Scottish Government budget for fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes is directed at the Area Based Schemes which are delivered by all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities and prioritise fuel poor areas, providing a range of insulation measures for private sector properties. Enabling funding is also provided to councils to assist in developing schemes and engage with householders.
We are listening to a wide range of stakeholders as we develop our approach on tackling fuel poverty. We have set up the short term Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group to work alongside the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum and the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force to build on our efforts to date and drive forward the fuel poverty agenda. Charities including Energy Action Scotland, Age Scotland, the Poverty Alliance and the Child Poverty Action Group are represented on these groups, as are other public bodies, including NHS Scotland.
We are also supporting (via loan funding) Our Power, the UK’s first fully licensed non-profit distributing energy supplier. Our Power has been established by a consortium of registered social landlords to supply their tenants with energy on a tariff that is lower than the equivalent offered by the major suppliers. This should help increase competition in the energy supply market and be of particular benefit to a group of consumers which is particularly vulnerable to fuel poverty.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S4W-29620 by reference.