62% of homes ‘not meeting energy efficiency standard’
Almost 1.5 million homes - 62% of the total in Scotland - fall below the energy performance certificate band C recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the Existing Homes Alliance has found.
Over three-fifths of Scotland's homes fall below the preferred energy efficiency standard - increasing the risk of deaths and ill-health associated with cold temperatures, housing campaigners have warned.
Almost 1.5 million homes - 62% of the total in Scotland - fall below the energy performance certificate band C recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the Existing Homes Alliance has found.
The Alliance, whose members include WWF Scotland, Changeworks and the National Insulation Association, called for a political commitment to raise all homes to at least band B.
Chair Alan Ferguson said: "These figures show that if the next Scottish government set an objective to bring all homes in Scotland to at least a C energy performance standard by 2025, they could end the scourge of cold homes currently affecting thousands of households in every single parliamentary constituency across Scotland.
"Not only did more than 50 business and civil society organisations welcome the cross-party commitment to making improved energy efficiency for Scotland's homes a national infrastructure priority, but the Nice suggested a C standard is the minimum energy efficiency level to avoid the risk of death and ill-health associated with cold homes.''
Dr Sam Gardner, head of policy at WWF Scotland said: "Heating Scotland's buildings accounts for over half of our climate change emissions.
"Ensuring every home reaches a C energy performance standard by 2025 is the minimum level of ambition required to allow our climate change targets to be met.
"A political commitment that no-one should live in a hard-to-heat, draughty home would be good for millions of households, and would drastically reduce emissions too.''
Households in the lowest energy efficiency bands are more likely to be living in fuel poverty.
There are seven constituencies in Scotland where more than 75% of households are estimated to be living in a cold home: Na h-Eileanan an Iar; Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch; Caithness, Sutherland and Ross; Shetland Islands; Orkney Islands; Argyll and Bute; Banffshire and Buchan Coast.
There are only three constituencies in Scotland where more than half of households are living in a home of an "acceptable'' energy efficiency rating (ie, at least a C EPC standard): Glasgow Shettleston; Edinburgh Northern and Leith; Glasgow Anniesland.
Patrick Harvie, economy and energy spokesman for the Scottish Greens and MSP candidate for Glasgow, said: "These figures are a stark reminder of the scale of fuel poverty in Scotland.
"Scottish Greens successfully persuaded SNP ministers to make energy efficient housing a national infrastructure priority but we have yet to see the follow through on the investment required. Indeed, in the last budget the SNP cut investment in fuel poverty measures.
"A larger group of Green MSPs in the new parliament will push for bolder action. Scotland can end the scandal of cold homes, and create thousands of local jobs in the construction, heating and insulation sectors.''