Agenda item

Councillor Murray, Executive Member for Housing provided witness evidence.

In the presentation and the discussion which followed, the following points were made:

·         Making homes more energy efficient reduced energy costs for residents and this in turn reduced fuel poverty.

·         The council undertook cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, reduced the number of F and G rated properties and undertook solid wall insulation. Whereas cavity wall insulation was relatively quick and easy to undertake with minimal disruption to residents, solid wall insulation was harder and caused more disruption.

·         The communal heating charges for tenants were designed to make charges fairer. Some blocks were more energy efficient than others and when energy efficiency measures were undertaken in a block, it was fairer for the effect to be on tenants as a whole rather than tenants in that individual block.

·         In 2014 the average tenant’s heating bill cost £604 and the average leaseholder’s heating bill cost £520. This year the cost of gas had decreased so tenants would receive a rebate of approximately £100. This meant overall they would be paying approximately £500. Over the last 10 years, tenants had paid less than the actual cost.

·         The amount leaseholders paid was highest if they lived in a small block and lowest if they lived in a large block as their charges were based on the block they lived in as legislation meant their charges could not be pooled.

·         In response to a question about the recommendation in the draft fuel poverty scrutiny report which recommended that the council should consider setting energy efficiency standards for its housing and those it paid housing benefit to, Councillor Murray stated that in some cases, affordable housing was found which was not energy efficient and then work was undertaken with landlords to improve the rating. Landlords could be given the opportunity to engage with the council to improve energy efficiency in the first year.

·         Most people who were fuel poor lived in D or E rated properties. The council had few F and G properties and the cost of improving these would be substantial. Most F and G homes were in the private rented sector.

·         In response to a question from a member of the public, an officer advised that the rebate to tenants would be apportioned according to the amount the tenants paid and paid to the rent account.

·         In response to a question from a member of the public about the reason why tenant charges had to be pooled, an officer advised that it was fairer to pool the charges. If it was not possible to undertake energy efficiency measures in all blocks, work was undertaken where it could be and this resulted in a reduction in energy bills for all tenants rather than just those in the blocks where it had been undertaken.

·         It was suggested that some blocks were interested in depooling. Depooling could result in an increase in the cost of heating for tenants across the borough.

·         If all tenants turned their heating down by 1 or 2°C this would reduce the overall bills.

·         A basic level of heat was required in buildings to prevent condensation and other building issues.

·         Having smarter controls and thermostats could reduce energy usage.

RESOLVED:

That the evidence be noted.