Tackling child poverty delivery plan 2022-2026 - annex 5: impact of policies on child poverty

Tackling Fuel Poverty

Tackle fuel poverty through addressing the affordability and efficiency of home energy use. Reduce and ultimately eliminate emissions from heating buildings.

• Costs of living
• Income from social security and benefits in kind

Enhanced life chances (e.g. health, wellbeing, capabilities, longer term goals)

Potential size of impact

The Fuel Poverty target set is that, by 2040, no more than 5% of households are fuel poor with no more that 1% in extreme fuel poverty (definitions of both set out in legislation). Meeting our emissions reduction target will require over a million homes to switch from fossil fuels by 2030, and for all homes to reach a good standard of energy efficiency by 2033.

Type of impact

Funded support to install energy efficiency measures for households in fuel poverty reduces the costs of heating. Energy advice and support can help people find out about ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Winter benefit payments, help with energy costs for those who need increased heat in cold weather. Regulatory measures will be introduced to increase the energy efficiency of buildings. The £10m Fuel Insecurity Fund (2022/23) provides crisis support for households currently struggling with fuel costs. An extra 16,400 jobs will be supported across the economy in 2030 due to the deployment of zero emissions heat.

Certainty of impact

Given the commitment to meeting the targets, there is confidence that this policy will significantly impact benefit those in, or at risk of, fuel poverty – many of whom will also be in one of the priority households.

Priority families targeted by policy:

• Lone parents
• 3+ children
• Disabled
• Minority ethnic
• Baby < 1
• Mothers aged <25

The policy focuses on all households in fuel poverty. There is evidence that households headed by younger people (16-24), by women, and where a member has a long-term health condition are more at risk of fuel poverty, so mothers under 25 and disabled people may experience greater relative benefit. Our approach to targeting our Heat in Buildings support programmes includes low income families, supporting them with the help they need to manage their energy bills. Targeting approach under review to maximise its effectiveness.

Tracking progress

The Fuel Poverty Strategy will be supported by a detailed monitoring and evaluation framework. This framework will be developed in consultation with the independent Scottish Fuel Poverty Panel – appointed by Ministers in December 2021 as required by the Fuel Poverty Act 2019. The Heat in Buildings Strategy will be supported by a detailed monitoring and evaluation framework which will be published in due course.