Decision details

That this Committee:

1.              notes that fuel poverty is a serious problem for people in their homes across Aberdeen, particularly during this winter but forecast to continue in future years;

2.              notes that the effects of climate change are increasingly being felt in all communities in the city, but especially in the most vulnerable;

3.              agrees that the most effective route out of fuel poverty is reducing the need for energy consumption, which is also part of the transition to a low carbon economy, the fundamental means of addressing climate change;

4.              notes that the widespread installation of good quality insulation in homes, to the current best standards, will reduce energy consumption and offer the prospect of decent living-wage jobs, open to local people within Aberdeen’s communities;

5.              notes that granite-built houses with solid walls and no cavities are a characteristic of Aberdeen;

6.              recalls the long history of Aberdeen City Council in tackling fuel poverty, for example, through partnering with SCARF, Aberdeen Heat & Power, and the new Energy from Waste project;

7.              agrees that Aberdeen City Council should look to maximise the benefits of public spending by integrating the work on fuel poverty, climate change and employability where possible.

8.              notes that the Council currently have a number of ongoing cavity and external wall insulation schemes to address the energy needs of Council tenants; and

9.              agrees that the Council continue to work with the Scottish Government to deliver Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland: Area Based Scheme, working with private owners to progress external wall insulation and other home efficiency measures