Fuel Poverty/Scottish Housing Quality Standards

Energy and Sustainability are working to implement a number of important Council targets and policies as outlined below:

Stock Condition Analysis

A benefit from the production of domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), is that the home surveys also presents a good opportunity for the Council to validate and enhance current data held on its housing stock.

Energy and Sustainability are responsible for collating and analysing this data which is used to assess the overall energy efficiency of the housing stock and assist with strategic planning including prioritising works.

Scottish Housing Quality Standards

The Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) introduced in 2004 encourages all social landlords (both local authority and Registered Social Landlords) to achieve a minimum level of housing quality (which includes energy efficiency) by 2015. Among other things the SHQS states that local authorities should install effective insulation (cavity wall (if feasible), minimum 100mm in lofts, hot water cylinder and pipe insulation) and full, efficient central heating in their stock.

Energy and Sustainability play a key role in assessing the requirements, and assisting in the delivery of upgrades required to comply with the Scottish Housing Quality Standards.

This stock condition analysis and upgrade programmes further assists the Council in meetings its obligations under Fuel Poverty.