Heat in Buildings delivery report: 2019-2020

Introduction

• This report summarises delivery by the programmes originally launched as part of the Home Energy Efficiency Programme Scotland (HEEPS) in 2013. These programmes will form part of the virtual public energy agency in future but are being published in the context of supporting delivery of the Heat in Buildings Delivery plan. Future reports will be branded to reflect the new virtual public energy agency.
• The Scottish Government’s Heat in Buildings (HIB) delivery programmes are key to achieving our strategies to tackle fuel poverty, improve the energy efficiency of Scotland’s homes and contribute to net zero. Our energy efficiency programmes provide an offer of support to every household across Scotland.
• This is the seventh annual summary report of our energy efficiency programme. The main focus of the report is on the outcomes achieved from the 2019/20 programme and an overview of the progress made since 2013.
• The report provides estimates for the number of households assisted, including those helped by our advice and support programme. Details on delivery through schemes prior to the launch of HEEPS (now HIB) in 2013 can be found on the Energy Saving Trust website.
• Our programmes are designed to work with other energy efficiency programmes, for example by aligning funding from the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). This helps maximise the opportunities available to households and local authorities, it means they can create larger funding pots to help deliver bigger or more ambitious projects.
• 613,000 households were reported to have been in Fuel Poverty in 2019. 311,000 of these households (12.4%) were living in extreme fuel poverty. Unfortunately we have no fuel poverty estimates for 2020, fieldwork for the 2020 Scottish House Condition Survey was halted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions.
• In common with all construction projects at the time, Covid-19 restrictions delayed and in some cases halted project delivery across our programmes. No work could be undertaken inside people’s homes and external work was paused during the first lockdown. This impacted the end of the 2019/20 delivery period, resulting in fewer improvements to homes being completed.
• Delays due to lockdown in 19/20 also impacted the supply chain with disruption to manufacturing, as well delays to logistics and rising costs of materials. COVID-19 precautions meant that staff and some householders had to self-isolate or shield themselves/their families. This and the second lockdown restrictions had a continuing impact upon completion of works during 2020/21 and 2021/22.