RSS Press releases

The Scottish Government funded Area Based Scheme (ABS) aims to assist homeowners and people living in the private rented sector to reduce fuel poverty and carbon emissions.

A household is defined to be in fuel poverty if more than 10% of its net income (after housing costs) is required to heat the home and pay for other fuel costs, with not enough money left for a decent standard of living. If more than 20% of net income is needed, the household is defined as being in extreme fuel poverty.

The most recent estimates state 28% of households in Dumfries and Galloway (25% nationally) are living in fuel poverty. This includes 16% (12% nationally) in extreme fuel poverty. There are several local factors that contribute to these figures including higher proportion of dwellings built before 1945, more large homes and greater numbers of older residents. This region is also more reliant on alternative fuels as 39% of properties are off the gas grid (17% nationally).

In June 2019 the Council noted the funding allocation of £1,938,227 for the region and agreed the 2019/20 projects for the Dumfries and Galloway Council ABS. This significant investment in private housing helps the Council meet its commitments.  A summary of the outcomes delivered locally are:

• 209 homes in the private sector received solid wall insulation (SWI).
• Of these, 189 properties were owner occupied and 20 were privately rented.

The ABS 2020/21 programme fits the Scottish Government’s aim that by 2040, no more than 5% of households in Scotland will be in fuel poverty. Scottish Government wrote to the Council in April 2021 to advise the region had been allocated £2,379,370. A deadline for submissions of the 14 May 2021 meant an in-principal application was sent to the Scottish Government to ensure this was achieved.

Dumfries and Galloway Council projects for2020/21 include:

• Area 1 - Central D&G EWI - This area will be a continued project targeting streets

which extend the current Lochside Project.

• Area 2 – East D&G EWI - The focus here is to continue to target the areas that are in the bottom three deciles for Geographical Access based on data from SIMD 2016. The other area will be a continued project targeting streets which extend the ABS 8 Annan Project which is in the bottom 25% of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
• Area 3 – West D&G EWI - This area will be a continued project targeting streets which extend the Stranraer Project.

In addition to the above, an opportunity has arisen for Dumfries and Galloway Council to work in partnership with partners on a pilot scheme to develop air source heat pumps through a project called Re-Heat. This is an innovative project that will accelerate deployment of low carbon electrified heating at an efficient cost to customers and release the whole-system benefits of flexible heat, reducing the peak demand on the electricity network. Re-Heat has a focus on off-gas households in fuel poverty. The primary measures that will be trialled in Re-Heat is the deployment of heat pumps, with domestic thermal storage, in conjunction with smart control.

Chair of Economy and Resources Committee, Rob Davidson said: “I am pleased to see the ongoing progress of this successful scheme. In the first seven years of the ABS Projects, there have been more than 1,923 energy efficiency measures installed across Dumfries and Galloway. These measures will save over 59,780t of carbon in their lifetime and result in fuel bill savings for local residents in excess of £13.6m at current prices. The ongoing programme will further improve these outcomes, while also providing wider climate change and regeneration objectives.”

Vice Chair, Archie Dryburgh said: “It is not only suburban and town centre properties who are eligible for this scheme, we are keen to attract applications from those in rural properties too. In towns, whole street approaches are implemented by identifying a number of households and carrying out simultaneous works. This is a valuable project which saves people money, and I would encourage residents to get in touch.