Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted
Rural Scottish households face significant barriers accessing home energy efficiency schemes despite high need.
Conclusion
One way to help reduce energy costs in the long-term is to improve the energy efficiency of homes. The challenge of retrofitting and insulating homes, in terms of cost, time and practicality, are particularly acute for rural areas. Rural Scottish households are therefore facing more barriers to accessing home energy efficiency schemes, despite being most in-need of them. Addressing this challenge will be key to reducing the rural premium for these Scottish consumers. (Paragraph 36) 28 Cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledges the challenges of improving energy efficiency in rural Scottish homes, noting that housing policy is devolved to the Scottish Government. However, it highlights that its UK-wide Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme already includes specific uplifts and provisions for rural, low-income, off-gas grid homes in Scotland.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
48. Energy efficiency is key to tackling fuel poverty, contributing to the long-term reduction of energy bills, and reaching net zero. In England, the UK Government has a statutory target to ensure that as many fuel poor households as reasonably practicable achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of Band C by 2030.
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