Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-03593

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many domestic properties can reach or exceed an Energy Performance Certificate rating (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D, (e) E and (f) F, also expressed as a percentage of all properties.

An exact measure of the data requested is not currently available. However the following table which was published in March 2011 in a document entitled ‘Impacts of Options for regulating energy efficiency standards in the domestic sector” http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/03/22092740/0 provides some broad information on the proportion of existing stock (not new buildings) in each Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band which could reach the bottom of a target band. It does not fully replicate the method used to identify an EPC band and therefore is approximate and further work would be required to confirm these results. This is especially true for the higher bandings.

Proportions of stock currently in EPC bands and which could meet or exceed a target band.

EPC Rating	Proportion Of Existing Stock Currently Achieving EPC Rating	Proportion Of Existing Stock Which Could Reach Or Exceed EPC Rating
A	0%	0%
B	1%	32%
C	22%	83%
D	46%	97%
E	24%	99%
F	5%	100%
G	1%	100%

Source: Data source is SHCS (2006-08).

Note: The third column is sensitive to the range of measures considered and as these were limited should be considered conservative.

Question reference: S4W-03589

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 10 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households would be in fuel poverty if the energy performance of all homes were raised to Energy Performance Certificate rating (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D, (e) E and (f) F, income levels remained the same and fuel prices (i) remained constant, (ii) increased by 13%, (iii) increased by 19% and (iv) increased by 52%, also expressed as a percentage of all households.

Question reference: S4W-03435

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in fuel poverty have been in receipt of a qualifying benefit for the Energy Assistance Package in each year since 2006, also expressed as a percentage of (a) fuel-poor and (b) all households.

The Energy Assistance Package has been operational since 1 April 2009 with the twin aims of tackling fuel poverty and reducing household carbon emissions. As such there would be no data for 2006-07, 2007-08, or 2008-09 as the scheme was not operational then. Over 47,000 households have been helped through the Energy Assistance Package by being referred for grant funded or CERT scheme insulation measures and/or installation of improved heating systems. In response to question (a), if all households benefiting were in fuel poverty, this would be 6% of households in fuel poverty over the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2011. In response to question (b), those households benefiting would represent 2% of all households in Scotland over the same two year period. A more detailed breakdown is not available at this stage. Note that just under 193,000 households received energy advice in the same period, which is just over 8% of all households in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-03429

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households have been lifted out of fuel poverty by (a) stage 1 of the Energy Assistance Package, (b) stage 2 of the Energy Assistance Package, (c) stage 3 of the Energy Assistance Package, (d) stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package, (e) the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and previous supplier obligations, (f) the Home Insulation Scheme, (g) the Universal Home Insulation Scheme, (h) the Community Energy Saving Programme, (i) other energy efficiency measures, (j) falling fuel prices and (k) rising incomes, in each year since 2006, also expressed as a percentage of households.

Question reference: S4W-03432

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvement will be required in the mean National Home Energy Rating of homes to ensure that no households live in fuel poverty by 2016, assuming that prices and incomes remain at present levels.

Fuel poverty is determined by the relationship between income levels, fuel prices and energy efficiency at a household level. In order for any individual household to be fuel poor they would have to spend more than 10% of their income to heat their home to a reasonable standard. Changes in the mean National Home Energy Rating will usually improve the chance of a household moving out of fuel poverty but this cannot be guaranteed unless the home is at a new National Home Energy Rating of 20 which by definition has net zero fuel costs.

Question reference: S4W-03433

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what improvement will be required in the mean National Home Energy Rating of homes to ensure that no households live in fuel poverty by 2016, assuming that incomes remain at present levels and prices rise in line with Ofgem's projections as outlined in its Project Discovery report.

Question reference: S4W-03431

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households will be lifted out of fuel poverty by (a) stage 1 of the Energy Assistance Package, (b) stage 2 of the Energy Assistance Package, (c) stage 3 of the Energy Assistance Package, (d) stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package, (e) the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and successive supplier obligations, (f) the Home Insulation Scheme, (g) the Universal Home Insulation Scheme, (h) the Community Energy Saving Programme, (i) other energy efficiency measures, (j) falling fuel prices and (k) rising incomes, in each year to 2020, also expressed as a percentage of households.

Question reference: S4W-03434

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a minimum National Home Energy Rating will be required to ensure that no household lives in fuel poverty by 2016 and, if so, what that rating will be.

Fuel poverty is determined by the relationship between income levels, fuel prices and energy efficiency at a household level. In order for any individual household to be fuel poor they would have to spend more than 10% of their income to heat their home to a reasonable standard. Changes in the mean National Home Energy Rating will usually improve the chance of a household moving out of poverty but this cannot be guaranteed unless the home is at a National Home Energy Rating of 20 which by definition has net zero fuel costs. This will not be an option for the vast majority of existing homes.

Question reference: S4W-03430

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households it expects to be in fuel poverty in each year to 2020, also expressed as a percentage.

The Scottish Government recently announced a review of fuel poverty. Scottish Government analysts are working closely with the Fuel Poverty Forum to scope out the analytical requirements that can be delivered in support of the review.

The Scottish Government does not produce projections of fuel poverty over the long term because of the difficulties in identifying future fuel prices, future income levels and stock condition at a household level.

Question reference: S4W-03594

Asked by: Jenny Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 9 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) costs and (b) benefits would be of raising the energy performance of all homes to Energy Performance Certificate rating (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) C, (iv) D, (v) E and (vi) F by (A) 2015, (B) 2016, (C) 2017, (D) 2018, (E) 2019 and (F) 2020.

Chamber and committees