Theme one: rural specific drivers of fuel poverty

Weather

Participants spoke about the role weather plays in driving fuel poverty in rural and remote Scotland. The weather is colder, wetter, and windier, with the wind chill increasing the threat of hypothermia. Island based participants highlighted that there is a lack of understanding of how windy it can be in their areas. One participant mentioned that the wood burner which they use frequently for heat goes through a lot more wood than what they were used to on the mainland due to the wind causing it to burn faster. Participants also discussed that it is darker where they live, so more electricity is required for lighting as well as heating.

Winters were viewed as lasting between 5 and 6 months, from around October to April and with frosts sometimes still occurring in May. Even in summer heating often needs to be on due to dampness in order to dry clothes, and because of wind. Weather is also inconsistent and it is therefore difficult to set thermostats effectively. The result of this is a higher heating requirement throughout the year, with no opportunity to create a buffer in the summer to help pay for the winter. One participant said:

“It’s a nightmare. One day it can be glorious sunshine and the next freezing. You can’t plan for it or set your heating for those kinds of extremes of up and down temperatures. Windows need replaced, carpets are thin with no underlay. The heating costs and standing charges are horrendous. Heating costs are far higher in rural places.”

As a result of cold, wet, and windy weather, participants highlighted that they are more likely to be at home in the winter, thereby increasing fuel costs. Those on pre-payment meters were viewed as struggling the most over winter because they do not have the benefit of paying the same amount all year round like those who pay by direct debits. Participants in one focus group described heating a home as a “second mortgage”, stating that in the winter months heating their home is more than their mortgage. This is in spite of the fact that their house never actually feels warm.

In addition to long, cold, and windy winters resulting in a higher heating requirement, participants also discussed the need to spend more on winter clothing. One participant living in the Western Isles said that since moving to the island they had sized up their jackets so that they can fit more clothing underneath.

Housing

Participants spoke about poor housing as a driver of fuel poverty. Some of the challenges discussed were non-specific to rural areas, for example feeling a lack of control when it comes to energy efficiency measures in a rented home. Some participants were aware of schemes including ECO4 and Warmer Homes Scotland but felt that they wouldn’t help them since they live in social housing. Participants also highlighted a lack of affordable housing.

Other housing-related topics discussed were more specific to rural areas. In general, housing was highlighted as being older and of a poorer quality than the Scottish average. A lack of insulation in rural housing was also felt to contribute to the high cost of heating. These issues are exacerbated by weather conditions in rural Scotland – wet, humid, and with long periods of cold – which can cause condensation, damp, and mould in properties. In order to stay warm, participants in two focus groups said that they live in one room, but this causes the unused rooms to get black mould. This was particularly the case for single people living in larger homes where they’d previously lived with their family.

In two focus groups participants highlighted particular problems with social housing in their area. They felt that much of the social housing stock was inadequate for the local climate and extremely inefficient. In some cases, high costs have been incurred by participants to stop damp issues in council properties. Where a council has provided dehumidifiers it was felt that they should contribute to the high cost of running them.

Windows and doors were also a particular concern. One participant said:

“As much as I heat my house, the moment the heating is turned off it’s freezing because the bad workmanship of the council means I have huge gaps around the doors – I can see daylight.”

Another participant said:

“Due to our exposed area and our extreme climate our windows and doors get hit hard… It’s great getting all the insulation and heating etc., but if you have bad windows and doors it’s like an open space for wind to get through, which wouldn’t be hard where we live.”

Lack of local resources/infrastructure

Participants highlighted challenges in accessing local resources. This can make accessing energy challenging, but also cause wider affordability issues. Participants discussed their limited access to supermarkets, hospitals, and other support services. In particular in relation to supermarkets, participants highlighted a lack of choice resulting in higher costs. One participant in an island location said that they have:

“no choice – on the island we have a very restricted choice of what we can purchase and therefore this usually means more expensive than mainland location, this is eating into my income.”

Public transport issues were also viewed as particularly challenging, and result in difficulty in seeking out free heat.

Participants in two focus groups discussed challenges around accessing post offices. In rural and remote Scotland post offices are often few and far between but are also essential for topping up pre-payment keys or cards. One participant said:

“Anyone with British Gas cannot top up at paypoints, and have to use Post Offices. In some areas the nearest Post Office is a 20 mile round trip away, with limited public transport – which means hanging around for several hours before a return bus. If you are fortunate enough to live near the Post Office, it is only open limited hours. The Post Office mobile van cannot redeem fuel vouchers.”

Participants in one focus group also discussed the fact that work in their local area is often low paid and seasonal. As a result of low incomes, some participants highlighted affordability challenges in affording internet in their home but require it in order to access social security.

Participants in one focus group highlighted the fact that it is challenging to access tradespeople when you live on an island. Material and delivery costs are also higher. This is especially the case when it comes to getting trained workers to service newer heating systems, and this can result in difficulty maintaining systems. Participants in this group would prefer to use local contractors rather than contractors who come to the island specially to carry out work.

Energy source – unregulated fuels

Participants who used unregulated fuels[2] were asked how they manage the cost of purchasing them. The upfront cost of filling an oil tank or buying coal or LPG was described as being too high for someone in fuel poverty to afford, with minimum orders the norm and a lack of supplier competition. One participant said:

“Most families experiencing fuel poverty cannot afford the initial outlay needed for an oil tank to be filled up and don’t get the option to pay over a few months as the first fill has to be paid in advance. This leads to them turning to using portable heaters that are very costly to run.”

Participants across focus groups discussed various coping mechanisms to help manage this costs:

Setting money aside each month so that they are able to buy fuel in bulk over winter
Saving fuel money ready for delivery
Monitoring oil and gas prices and buying when it is cheaper
Paying regular direct debits to oil/LPG company, but participants usually still have to pay more once delivery happens as prices keep increasing
Purchasing logs in bulk
Collecting firewood from around the village
Some participants also flagged that there had been waves of oil theft in their local area

A participant in one focus group mentioned that some practices have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, with oil no longer being bulk bought with neighbours.

Participants discussed challenges in getting deliveries of unregulated fuels. There is a lack of flexibility for coal/oil/gas, with some suppliers only providing coal deliveries every two weeks. In addition, some suppliers will not deliver bottled gas or coal, instead requiring collection. This is difficult for elderly or disabled people to manage. Island communities were discussed as facing particular challenges. As well as requiring minimum orders, there are some suppliers who won’t travel to islands unless there are five customers requiring fuel. Suppliers also need to factor in the cost of travelling on commercial ferries into the price.

Energy source – electricity/storage heaters

Participants discussed a number of challenges and coping mechanisms related to electric heating systems. Challenges particularly related to the use of storage heaters. Storage heaters were described as being very expensive to run, exacerbated by a lack of supplier choice for their meter type and high electricity standing charges. One participant said:

“If there is a sudden cold snap when using storage heaters you need to use plug in heaters to deal with the sudden cold – these are even more expensive to run.”

Participants described a number of coping mechanisms:

Managing cost by paying electricity quarterly on receipt of bill
Using a portable gas hob to cook rather then their electric hob in order to save on electricity costs
Cutting gas use in order to afford electricity (if property has access to gas)
Self-disconnection amongst pre-payment meter customers

Participants in one focus group described frustration that they must be experts in managing their heating costs and system, otherwise they will be caught out.

Participants in two focus groups described a distrust of suppliers, with some stating that they’d cancelled their electricity direct debit as a result. Other participants who were on a fixed direct debit felt that it was very high during the summer since those on electric heating systems use a lot less electricity during the summer.

Two participants had replaced their storage heating systems with air source heat pumps. They said that they had not seen a financial benefit in the form of reduced bills but do have improved thermal comfort in their homes. However, they did highlight that there can be large bill fluctuations which is hard to manage. They face bills of £600 in the winter months compared to £180 in summer, and because they do not like paying by direct debit due to a distrust of energy suppliers they have no choice but to budget for this themselves, which is challenging.