Fuel Poverty

Families of disabled children will receive a new heating benefit from the Scottish Government by Christmas. The Child Winter Heating Assistance is a new £200 payment to help families of a child on the highest rate care component of Disability Living Allowance for Children to heat their homes.

Kevin Stewart MSP, minister for local government and housing, has written a guest blog to mark five years of Warmer Homes Scotland and the key milestone of assisting 20,000 customers. When the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme was launched in September 2015, the ambitions of the Scottish Government

Energy regulator Ofgem has confirmed plans to strengthen protections for customers who are struggling to pay their bills this winter with the introduction of new licence rules for suppliers.

Three families have moved into Scotland’s first community-owned Passivhaus homes which have been developed by Nith Valley LEAF Trust (NVLT) in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway Small Communities Housing Trust (DGSCHT). Representing the community of Closeburn in Upper Nithsdale, NVLT is a

With commitment from all parties, fuel poverty in electrically heated multi-dwelling units can be addressed today: at minimal cost, writes David Stern. In her excellent article on the Scottish Housing News website this week (13 October 2020), Sandra Brydon (director, Home Group Scotland) highlighted

The ‘perfect storm’ that is looming large this winter could have devastating consequences for millions across the UK, as Sandra Brydon explains. Presently, there’s so much uncertainty as to whether or not we’ll be facing another lockdown this winter. If we do face a second wa

The Scottish Government has approved an increase to grant funding for energy efficiency measures for eligible properties in rural towns throughout the Highlands. Aviemore, Carrbridge, Fort William, Grantown area, Tain, Thurso and Wick are all in line to benefit from the funds.

The latest £6.7 million phase of an external wall insulation (EWI) programme in Dundee will provide warmer, more energy efficient homes at more than 740 properties, councillors heard last night at the investment was approved by the local authority. More than £46m has been spent across th

Ex-rugby international Gareth Thomas is helping People’s Energy launch a new campaign to end fuel poverty. An estimated four million UK homes are currently living in fuel poverty. With the full financial fallout of COVID-19 not yet known, this figure is undoubtedly set to rise as households fa

The Highland Council is calling on the UK Government to help resolve the inequity of fuel poverty experienced in the Highlands of Scotland where people pay more for fuel and energy than other regions in the UK. Council leader Cllr Margaret Davidson has written to the UK minister for business, energy

Fuel-poor households are to benefit from a further £16 million investment to improve energy efficiency in their homes. The money will be used to improve insulation and install energy efficient heating systems, including those using renewable technology, contributing to Scotland’s net zer

Sarah Stewart from Burness Paull considers the Scottish Government's Heat Networks Bill and its impact on the housing and heating industries. District heating, also known as a heat network, is a distribution system of insulated pipes that takes heat from a central source and delivers it to a number

The Scottish Government has said it will invest nearly £1.6 billion to directly support up to 5,000 jobs and tackle fuel poverty as part of its plans to drive Scotland’s green recovery and end its contribution to climate change. Part of an enhanced Green New Deal, the investment wil

Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP) is providing assistance to those who are struggling with fuel poverty by offering fuel vouchers to local residents.  Using funding secured from the Scottish Government’s Supporting Communities Fund, via Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), HHP c

New guidance for developers on connecting to or creating district heating systems in Dundee could be set for consultation.