Energy efficiency in social housing: guidance for landlords - revised 2020
Guidance for social landlords on the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH).
4 The EESSH and the SHQS
4.1 The EESSH will replace element 35 of the SHQS. Landlords will not be required to demonstrate that they comply with SHQS element 35 from 1 January 2021.
4.2 From April 2015 all social housing should be compliant with the SHQS unless it is exempt. Social housing should continue to meet the energy efficiency elements of the SHQS until December 2020. The SHQS standard for energy efficiency is set by fuel type as follows:
Table 3: SHQS minimum energy efficiency ratings (current minimum standard)
| Fuel | SAP 2009 | SAP 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Gas | 48 | 48 |
| Electric | 63 | 61 |
| Other Fuels | see table 2 | |
4.3 Note that the SHQS minimum standard for electrically heated detached houses is higher than the standard required by EESSH. This is because EESSH recognises the difficulties faced in making improvements to this type of property.
4.4 SHQS also requires landlords to ensure that properties have the following additional elements:
Table 4: Other SHQS energy efficiency elements
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| 31 | Cavity wall insulation – if there is an appropriate cavity |
| 32 | Loft insulation (270 mm) – if there is an appropriate loft space |
| 33a | Hot water tank insulation (spray-on 25 mm or jacket 80 mm) unless inside an insulated loft space |
| 33b | Any hot or cold pipes or cold water tank must be suitably insulated unless in an insulated loft space (NB although this is listed under energy efficiency the insulation of cold water installations is intended to protect against freezing conditions. |
| 34a | Full central heating – i.e. a heating system covering at least 50% of the floor space of "habitable rooms" as defined in SAP (this excludes kitchens and bathrooms) and with a central point of control for all heaters in the system. |
| 34b | Efficient central heating – a boiler with a seasonal efficiency of 55% or less (65% of less for oil heating) and some types of electric storage heating are classed as inefficient. |
4.5 For more detail of the SHQS energy efficiency elements see Annex C of the SHQS guidance.[14]
4.6 As the EESSH does not prescribe specific measures needed to meet overall minimum levels of energy efficiency, landlords will not be required to demonstrate that they comply with SHQS elements 31-34b from 1 January 2021. Generally, it can be assumed that homes which comply with the EESSH will meet most if not all of these individual elements. Some of these measures have been included in the list of reasonable measures for the EESSH.
4.7 The SHQS guidance includes advice on cavity wall insulation to help identify where a suitable cavity exists and should be insulated.
Contact
Email: josh.kumar@gov.scot
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