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OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS DOCUMENT DO NOT
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GOVERNMENT
SUSTAINABILITY AND FUEL POVERTY: BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE
AND LONG-TERM INVESTMENT IN HOMES
WORKGROUP BRIEFING
Conference Themes Home, Place and Support
Housing and Regeneration Outcomes High-quality sustainable homes, Sustainable
communities
Introduction
The Scottish Government has held eight Round Table discussions on a variety of housing
topics. A number of overlapping issues have arisen, particularly to do with behavioural
change, community engagement and customer focus. The actions in this work brief came
directly from the Sustainable Housing meetings where the issues to do with behavioural
change were particularly important. Key contexts considered by the meeting were: Climate change and the need for people to live sustainably within the resources and
capacity of the planet, is the biggest challenge facing us all and one which the
Scottish Government has set challenging and visionary targets to meet in line with
and exceeding international treaty obligations.
 At a more human level, however, a good quality warm home that is not costly to heat
provides health and well-being benefits for people that translate into civic
improvements at all levels. This can be fewer admissions to hospital for older people
or a stable environment to hold down a job for a young person.
 The scale of the challenge is such that if we are to tackle fuel poverty and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions everyone will need to play their part. Public expenditure is
vital and we must continually optimise how it is spent but significant and widespread
behaviour change is crucial if we are to rise to the challenge.
 We want people to value their homes therefore behavioural change is about
increasing demand for energy efficient homes so that people proactively chose to
invest and improve their homes and consider a property’s energy efficiency at the
time of sale or rental, as well as how they live in and operate their homes.
Scotland’s Sustainable Housing Strategy published in 2013 set out four areas of vision and
strategy:- To deliver a step change in provision of energy efficient homes to 2030, through
retrofit and new build as promised in the Infrastructure Investment Plan
- Ensure that no-one in Scotland has to live in fuel poverty by 2016, as far as
reasonably practicable
- Make a full contribution to the Climate Change Act targets as set out in the Report of
Proposals and Policies
- Enable the refurbishment and house building sectors to contribute to and benefit from
Scotland’s low carbon economy and to drive forward Scotland’s future economic
prosperity.
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DRAFT DOCUMENT FOR DISCUSSION ONLY
OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS DOCUMENT DO NOT
REFLECT THE POLICIES OF THE SCOTTISH
GOVERNMENT
Policy Links
Homes Fit for the 21st Century http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/02/03132933/3
Sustainable Housing Strategy http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/06/6324
Action Areas One, Two and Three focus on how we can encourage behavioural changes
using the tools available to us.
Action Area One – How can we capitalise on the roll out of smart meters to
every home in Scotland ? How can we encourage use amongst the public to
maximise energy savings ?
How can public and private housing providers work with owners, tenants and energy
companies to get people to use smart meters and save money on fuel costs ?
How can effective information, training and advice be given to housing staff and others to
help support the roll out ? Is there a skills and knowledge gap to be met and how are we all
going to do it ?
Is there scope for linking other interventions eg incentives, regulations to the smart meter roll
out given direct contact with each household ? What can you and your organisation do to
capitalise on this opportunity ?
Action Area Two – How can we accelerate the current work on Financial
Market Transformation to increase the desirability of and demand for energy
efficient homes?
Market forces can bring about industry change but this also requires a step change in
people’s behaviour and how they value features of their homes. How can you and your
organisation encourage this transformation to create consumer demand for energy efficient
homes?
Action Area Three –– What additional behavioural change support can be
added to energy efficiency programmes – eg through aftercare advice as
standard ?
Energy efficiency gains after investment in measures are often only seen when people
adjust their lifestyle to derive maximum fuel savings. The more investment in expert tailored
advice in advance of energy efficiency improvements, the more expectations can be
managed and people prepared for differences in how they use new measures. How do we
promote skilled advice provided by you and your organisation and awareness amongst
consumers to gain the greatest benefits ?
Action Area Four – Preparation for the introduction of the regulation of energy
efficiency in private sector housing – how do we all make the case ?
Public sector housing has been investing in energy efficiency through the Scottish Housing
Quality Standard and now EESSH – energy efficiency in social housing standard. The
suggestion is to introduce a similar standard for private sector housing, but there will need to
be a substantial period of consultation and awareness raising to get owner occupiers and
private landlords to support the benefits. How can we link wider messages on the benefits of
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OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS DOCUMENT DO NOT
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an energy efficient home ? What are the key ways you and your organisation can help with
this ?
Action Area Five – Exploring Action Four in greater detail, what targeted
support may be needed for homeowners and landlords to meet energy
standards ?
In addition to the behaviour change actions at Action 3, what do we need to do during the
lead in time before regulations come into force to identify means of support and what are
these? Is there a wider opportunity to trigger assistance in improving other house condition
issues through the operation of the proposed standards ? Can this be combined with the roll
out of smart meters ? Who can take leadership and explore lending options to finance the
costs ?
Action Area Six – How can we ensure that we respond proactively to any new
devolved powers and maximise use of existing powers to incentivise
improvements to household energy efficiency ?
How might we optimise the impact of current powers? Of the new powers that might come
to the Scottish Government which might be most effective in helping to improve energy
efficiency and promote sustainable housing? what are the opportunities and risks? How
might Scotland secure the best deal possible from the current regulatory environment and
what might that look like and how might it work best alongside devolved powers and
programmes?
Action Area Seven – How do we maintain efforts to address fuel poverty in
Scotland after 2016 ?
How could this best reflect Scottish conditions, the actual circumstances of households in or
at risk of fuel poverty and the levers available to Scottish Ministers and others to raise
household incomes or cut fuel costs. What do we have to do to keep existing work focused
on 2016, and what collaborations will best inform how we deal with post 2016 ?
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