Parties Need to Warm Up to Insulation Ideas

To mark Climate Day (Wednesday 13th April) the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has called on Scotland's political parties to warm up their plans to improve the energy efficiency, and energy creating potential, of Scotland's homes.

Properly insulating Scotland's existing homes is the fastest, cheapest and best way to tackle climate change and fuel poverty, cutting energy use and creating badly-needed jobs in the process.

Though housing associations and co-operatives score high for energy efficiency funding is needed from Government to tackle housing emissions and end the scourge of fuel poverty, which affects many tenants.

Several of Scotland's parties have this week pledged to insulate homes.

Scottish Greens have pledged to invest £100m annually in a free insulation
programme for all housing in Scotland and the SNP would invest £50m in a one-
off Warm Homes programme to insulate properties

The Liberal Democrats want to invest £250m from the Investing in Scotland's
Future Fund to insulate homes and buildings including private rented sector and
Hard-to-treat properties

Scottish Labour proposes a Green New Deal to fit at least 10,000 homes with
community and household renewables.

In their manifesto the Scottish Conservatives said they will consolidate all energy
efficiency schemes into one and require all councils to produce heat maps.

SFHA Chief Executive Mary Taylor said:

"The SFHA is pleased to see all parties in Scotland warming to the theme of tackling energy efficiency and fuel poverty, but this needs to heat up - some parties are more prepared to take decisive action than others.

"This issue need to be a priority for the incoming government, as we say in our manifesto, if Scotland is to meet its targets to tackle climate change and eradicate fuel poverty.

"We must tackle emissions from housing in order to tackle climate change, and fuel poverty is one of the biggest challenges faced by many tenants. Fuel poverty now affects a third of all Scots and as domestic energy prices continue to rise.

Dr Taylor added:

"The SFHA's members are at the forefront of building energy efficient housing and insulating existing homes, and housing association homes are the most efficient of all sectors in Scotland. But Government has a role to play in adequately funding a comprehensive approach

"We believe that while the challenges of climate change and fuel poverty are daunting, they also represent a significant opportunity. If initiatives to improve insulation and harness the potential to develop small scale renewable electricity and heat projects can be developed on a larger scale then they will create much needed employment and training opportunities. The SFHA and its members are keen to assist and well placed to do so."

The SFHA says Scotland must:

• Provide sufficient extra resources to insulate all of Scotland's existing housing stock, as the cheapest, fairest and best way of meeting targets on fuel poverty and climate change.
• Utilise EU resources to meet our climate change and fuel poverty objectives

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