Wightman: Government must act on housing repairs to tackle fuel poverty

Fuel poverty will not be eliminated in Scotland until the government takes action to fix the one in two homes that have issues with weather-tightness and structural stability, says a Green MSP. Continue reading Wightman: Government must act on housing repairs to tackle fuel poverty

Have your say on Fuel Poverty plans

People are being asked to give their views on a new long-term strategy to tackle fuel poverty. The consultation will run until 1 February 2018 and will seek opinions on, among other things, ambitious targets for fuel poverty reduction – with a revised definition recommended by an independent, expert review – and the timescales for meeting them. Continue reading Have your say on Fuel Poverty plans

Edinburgh householders demand fairer and more transparent energy bills

Survey finds a third do not feel they are paying a fair price for energy
gas-riings
Edinburgh bill payers lack understanding of their energy bills and a third question their fairness, according to new research.

Continue reading Edinburgh householders demand fairer and more transparent energy bills

Turning up the heat on fuel poverty

A pilot will see 220 rural households offered targeted support to cut their energy bills – while an independent review of how fuel poverty is defined is to take place.

Communities, Social Security, and Equalities Secretary Angela Constance set out the developments as she responded to the recommendations of the Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group and Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force.

Ms Constance said both the pilot and the review will inform the consultation on a new fuel poverty strategy and target – which will be published later this year.

Advisers from Home Energy Scotland (HES) will visit selected homes in rural areas to see what more can be done to reduce their fuel bills. The £300,000 12-month Homecare pilot will be evaluated before a decision is taken on rolling it out to households nationwide.

Meanwhile, an independent panel of four academic experts has been established to consider changes to how fuel poverty is defined. This follows the working group conclusions that the current definition may be impeding efforts to target those most in need.

Making the announcement during a visit in Edinburgh to the home of Donnah Anderson –the 100,000thproperty to benefit under the Home Energy Efficiency Programme since 2013 – Ms Constance said:

“We have made good progress and significant investment in tackling fuel poverty, supporting people who need help, like Donnah and her family. However, there are still far too many people struggling with unaffordable energy costs. That is why we’re developing a new long-term strategy to tackle fuel poverty and will introduce a Warm Homes Bill to set a new target.

“The HES pilot is about providing tailored support to people in the greatest need – helping them lower their fuel bills and hopefully move out of fuel poverty altogether.

“I’m also pleased to announce a review of the definition of fuel poverty, which will look at whether changes are needed to help us better target our efforts to eradicate fuel poverty in the forthcoming Warm Homes Bill.”

Donnah Anderson lives in Duddingston with her husband and two children. She received help under the Home Energy Efficiency Programme, including a gas connection, boiler installation and radiators in place of broken electric heaters and a faulty hot water tank.

She said: “I contacted Home Energy Scotland for advice about my heating but I had no idea that I would qualify for a new boiler and new radiators! I really can’t thank everyone enough for the lovely job that they have done. My son is thrilled to bits and I’m delighted the kids now have a bedroom that’s so warm.”

 

Cut energy bills? That’s IDEAL

Changeworks has partnered with the University of Edinburgh to deliver IDEAL, a cutting edge research project exploring how smart technology can help save energy in the home. They are looking for Edinburgh households (EH1-EH17) with gas combi boiler heating to participate.

The benefits include:

·        Gaining insight into your home energy use

·        Receiving a free android tablet used to display energy use information

·        Receiving tailored advice from University of Edinburgh experts

·        Hopefully saving money on gas and electricity bills

For more information visit changeworks.org.uk/projects/ideal

To get involved email your name, address, and contact details to IDEAL@changeworks.org.uk, or call 0131 539 8610.