Location notice
Please note that this page contains information and links most relevant for people living in Scotland.
The Scottish Government recognises home energy efficiency as a National Infrastructure Priority and spends considerably more in this area per head of population than other UK administrations. Energy Saving Trust is a key delivery partner for the Scottish Government in its energy efficiency programmes.
Over the last few years Energy Saving Trust has received an increasing number of enquiries about the home energy efficiency programmes it delivers on behalf of the Scottish Government. These are often from organisations who are seeking to influence policy in other parts of the UK. There has also been increasing interest from stakeholders in other parts of Europe and elsewhere keen to learn more about the Scottish experience of delivering home energy programmes.
This publication responds to this demand for information. Section 2 of this report explains why the Scottish Government is prioritising home energy efficiency. Section 3 outlines Scotland’s medium and long term policy objectives for energy efficient housing. Section 4 details the financial support made available to homeowners, tenants and landlords in Scotland to help them address energy efficiency. A distinctive element of the Scottish home energy policy programme is the emphasis put on advice to householders and section 5 explains the Home Energy Scotland advice service. Section 6 focuses on non-consumer facing programmes aimed at improving the delivery of home energy efficiency by the supply chain, social landlords and local authorities. Appendix 1 is a detailed table summarising how each of Scotland’s main government home energy programmes is administered and delivered (contractual arrangements, quality assurance, evaluation etc.).
In this report we refer to Scottish Government “home energy programmes.” These should be understood to cover the promotion of energy efficiency improvements in homes (insulation, efficient heating systems and efficient electrical appliances), the promotion of renewable energy measures in homes, as well as behavioural advice on energy and carbon saving. Home energy programmes can also cover wider support to address fuel poverty: helping people get on the right energy tariff and access all the welfare benefits they are entitled to.