Rural fuel poverty taskforce launched

A taskforce aimed at tackling fuel poverty in rural areas of Scotland has been launched.

The Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force, which was unveiled by Housing Minister Margaret Burgess, will be tasked with coming up with a range of ideas to help people in more remote parts of the country reduce their fuel costs and keep their homes warm.

The group will meet at least six times during the next year, with the 22 members expected to carry out and present research that will contribute to an overall report on tailored solutions.

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Burgess said: “People in rural areas can often struggle to heat their homes because their properties tend to be more exposed to wind and weather and are more expensive to heat as the majority are not connected to mains gas supplies.

“It is unacceptable for people to face these fuel poverty challenges just because of where they live.” 

Burgess made the announcement during a visit to Orkney. Latest statistics show three-fifths of households (58 per cent) throughout the archipelago off the north coast of Scotland are in fuel poverty, exceeding a national average of nearly two in five (39 per cent).

Orkney received £1.34m through Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland: Area Based Schemes (HEEPS:ABS) this year, which is set to help 230 households on the island access improvements like solid wall, cavity and loft insulation. 

Councillor Steven Heddle, convener of Orkney Islands Council, called for a tailored approach to providing energy efficiency schemes.

“Through the Our Islands Our Future initiative we stress the need to avoid one-size-fits-all solutions,” he said.

“In response, the Scottish Government has demonstrated its willingness to build flexibility into the HEEPS:ABS scheme so that it better meets the specific needs of our community.”

The group will be chaired by Di Alexander, chair of the Rural and Highlands Housing Associations’ Forum.

"Affordable warmth is still presenting a major problem for far too many rural and island households, especially those living in doubly disadvantaged off-gas areas,” she said.

“The job of the Task Force is to come up with practicable and deliverable solutions to all aspects of the problem and I'm delighted that we will have so much problem-solving experience to draw upon when we set to our task.”

The group’s first meeting will take place in Inverness this week.