There has been 6% increase in Scottish households in fuel poverty, according the latest housing condition survey.

A total of 770,000 households (33 per cent of households) were estimated to be in fuel poverty in 2009 an increase from 618,000 households (27 per cent of households) in 2008. The major driver of this increase was a 15 per cent increase in energy prices over the period.

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Scottish House Condition Survey: Key Findings 2009 as well as the SHCS Local Authority Report 2007-09.

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A further 243,000 households (10 per cent of all households) were estimated to be in extreme fuel poverty.

The majority of dwellings that failed the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) did so on the energy efficiency criterion - 48 per cent of all dwellings.

There was an increase of 2 per cent of houses passing the SHQS. In 2009 38 per cent of dwelling met the standard compared with 36 per cent in 2008.

The mean National Home Energy Rating (NHER) score in 2009 was 6.5 and 55 per cent of dwellings had a 'good' NHER score of 7-10, this is an increase from 49 per cent of dwellings in 2008 - the increase is statistically significant.

Improvements in the energy efficiency of social rented dwellings have been greater than those for the stock as a whole. In 2009, 72 per cent of social sector dwellings were rated 'good', up from 43 per cent in 2002. Over the same period, the proportion of private sector dwellings rated 'good' increased from 27 per cent to 49 per cent.

(GK/KMcA)