Winter deaths figures show the unacceptable costs of not upgrading Scotland’s homes
Figures published by the Scottish Government on ‘additional winter deaths’ show Scotland’s cold and draughty housing stock must be upgraded as a matter of urgency to tackle fuel poverty and protect the ill and vulnerable, the Existing Homes Alliance has argued.
The statistics show that 2,850 “extra” vulnerable people died in Scotland last winter, when compared with the average for the rest of the year. Scottish Ministers have pledged to make energy efficiency a National Infrastructure Priority, but plans are still under development. In the meantime, the alliance is pressing for a more substantial financial commitment to be made and for much needed regulation to ensure that no-one in Scotland is forced to live in fuel poverty as a consequence of a cold and poorly-insulated home.
Lori McElroy, chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, said: