Energy Efficient Scotland: equality impact assessment

12. Disability

12.1. Evidence gathered: The Scottish Household Survey 2016 reports that around 22% of the Scottish population is reported to have a physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expecting to last 12 months or more. As well as privately owned homes, ^[6] housing for disabled people is provided by both public authorities and housing associations. Housing for disabled people can vary considerably and includes sheltered, medium dependency, adapted for wheelchair.

12.2. Effects/Impacts: We are aware of the potential impacts on disabled people with disruption possible in the home or immediate surroundings while improvements are being carried out. Greater cost may be incurred if modifications to install energy efficiency measures are more complex as a result of individual needs. Disabled people may also spend significant amounts of time at home and therefore potentially have higher household energy demand than the average household. The improvements will help make their homes warmer, cheaper and easier to heat. These impacts will be further considered as the Programme moves forward. Engagement will take place with individuals and groups representing disabled people to ensure that they are not detrimentally affected by the proposals.

12.3. Advice and information will be tailored to ensure that all groups are able to understand the proposals, how they will be implemented and how they will affect them. Scottish Government set up Home Energy Scotland, a network of local advice centres covering all of Scotland which offers free, impartial advice on energy saving, renewable energy etc and this will be a leader in offering advice on the Programme. To aid in this advice we will produce easy read factsheets for each sector to explain how the Programme will work, what to expect and the benefits that can be gained. Through the consultation it is hoped to gain insight into how these fact sheets are helping people understand the proposal and identify any gaps in their understanding.