What we asked
The main purpose of the consultation was to seek input from members of the public, local businesses, and stakeholders on the Draft Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES).
What the response was
A total of 112 responses were received, and the pertinent feedback has informed the final version of the Strategy and Delivery Plan.
69% strongly agreed or agreed with the aims of the LHEES
54% agreed the priorities in the LHEES were the right ones for ÓûÂþɬ
59% said that improving energy efficiency was very important
67% said that it is very important / quite important that the LHEES prioritises zero-emission heating
51% agreed that it was important that communities which generate zero carbon energy should benefit from doing so
60% agreed that the ÓûÂþɬ LHEES should aim to tackle fuel poverty
What was decided as a result of the response
Pertinent feedback has informed the final version of the Strategy and Delivery Plan.
Stakeholder input will continue to shape the LHEES Strategy and Delivery Plan, as the LHEES is characterised by its iterative nature, and the documents are designed to be dynamic and adaptable rather than static. The Council plans to establish an interagency delivery group to develop detailed actions to implement LHEES priorities. In addition, the LHEES Officer will continue to work closely with the Community Planning Partnership while they develop a Regional Climate Change Plan for ÓûÂþɬ.
| You said | We did |
| There is a need for impartial, bespoke information and advice to enable you to make informed choices about energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation options. |
The LHEES has committed to developing a signposting toolkit to assist householders to access impartial information and advice.
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| There is too much reliance on heat pumps to heat homes. |
The LHEES originally suggested heat pumps (air to air, air source, ground source and water source heat pumps) as a decarbonised heating solution, as direct electric heating (electric boilers and storage heaters) were expensive to operate, and traditional heat networks were not viable in most of ÓûÂþɬ. However, in response to your feedback, we have:
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| Some energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation funding support schemes which were available in other council areas were not available in ÓûÂþɬ. |
The Council has collaborated with partners to establish an ECO Flex scheme in ÓûÂþɬ, enabling more households to access energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation funding support.
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| More focus on local energy generation is needed. |
The LHEES remit is to consider energy efficiency solutions and decarbonised heating technologies, eg electric heating. Electricity generation (wind, tidal, hydro, nuclear, etc) is out of the scope of the LHEES duty, and consequently, it is not included in the Scottish Government's LHEES methodology. However, as a result of the consultation feedback, the Council has included some local generation in its Local Heat and Energy Strategy (LHEES) to address the problems with grid capacity.
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| More focus is needed on community wealth building. | The LHEES now states its delivery ethos is to promote decarbonisation options which enable community wealth-building. |
| More skilled installers are needed. | The LHEES has now prioritised working with partners to upskill and improve the supply chain. |
See the Consultation Feedback in full.
Discussed at Council -
