Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Bill: island communities impact assessment

Conclusions

The work undertaken to produce this impact assessment in partnership and consultation with local people and island local authorities has further developed our understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities for tackling fuel poverty within island communities.

We have developed a set of actions that will support and improve our work around the Fuel Poverty Bill. Through these we will ensure that we can tackle fuel poverty wherever it occurs and that we support island communities in achieving all the fuel poverty and extreme fuel poverty 2030 and 2040 targets.

The Scottish Government will achieve these actions through:

• reviewing how delivery schemes can work better locally and funding for island communities,
• developing a remote rural, remote small town and island Minimum Income Standard uplift, with the uplift for island areas to be determined separately,
• ensuring that representatives from island local authorities are fully involved in island proofing the final Fuel Poverty Strategy,
• the production of an Island Community Impact Assessment (ICIA) on the final Fuel Poverty Strategy and
• further work by the Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel on self-reporting for the enhanced heating regime.

Ongoing consultation with island communities on the final Fuel Poverty Strategy and the publication of the ICIA on this strategy will ensure that island communities continue to have a say in how the Fuel Poverty Bill Targets for their homes will be achieved.