Question reference: S5W-35236
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 17 February 2021 Registered interest
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Current status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 22 February 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the (a) laying of regulations for minimum energy efficiency standards and (b) compliance dates which will be set out in the regulations.
Answer
The draft Heat in Buildings Strategy (HBS) published on 5 February 2021, brings together the Scottish Government’s ambitions on energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation into a single framework, and provides an update to the 2018 Energy Efficient Scotland Routemap and the 2015 Heat Policy statement.
The draft HBS provides a framework to introduce regulations in a way that is proportionate and which considers the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s people, including continuing to target the eradication of poor energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty and ensuring our actions have no detrimental impact on fuel poverty, unless additional mitigating measures can also be put in place.
In summary the framework for energy efficiency standards, including proposed compliance dates is as follows:
The Proposed Standard | Dates to lay regulations | Dates to meet the standards | Backstop dates for compliance | |
Private Rented Sector | To reach a level equivalent to EPC C for new tenancies | By 2025 | 2025-2027 | 2028 for all tenancies |
Owner Occupier Sector | To reach a level equivalent to EPC C | By 2025 | Triggers proposed between 2025-2034 | 2035 |
Social Housing | To reach EPC B | Standards reviewed in 2023 | 2024-2031 | 2032 |
Multi tenure/Mixed use | To reach a level equivalent to EPC C | By 2025 | 2025-2044 | 2045 |
Non-Domestic Buildings | More challenging energy improvement targets to reduce | By 2025 | Triggers proposed between 2025-2044 | 2045 |
The HBS sets out our intention to consult on the detail of these proposed standards over the next few years, including on reforms to the assessment process and EPC metrics which will underpin the regulations.
Progress on initial standards within the PRS to reach a standard of EPC D have been paused as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and will be revisited as we emerge from the pandemic.