The Scottish government has published a report on its findings from the HES Homecare pilot, which aimed to test the Energycarer approach to tackling rural fuel poverty. Published on 15 February, the report explained that the Energycarer approach seeks to provide support in accessing energy retrofitting opportunities and funding for vulnerable rural fuel-poor households who may require multiple points of contact and face-to-face visits, rather than single phone calls offered through traditional services.
It was concluded that a single finance mechanism incorporating a range of physical measures alongside remedial works is required, as well as an area-based approach to identifying vulnerable people and subsequent upgrade of buildings and heating.
The report also recommended that longer timeframes are required to establish the organisational structure and relationships with partner organisations in schemes of this type.
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