Newly released data from the Chief Statistician has provided a comprehensive overview of the condition of Scotland's housing stock, focusing on fuel poverty, energy efficiency, and property maintenance.

The findings from the 2024 Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) indicate a notable improvement in fuel poverty levels across the country.

Fuel Poverty and Energy

Costs In 2024, the number of households in fuel poverty fell to approximately 732,000, representing 28.7% of all Scottish households. This is a significant decrease from 2023, when 33.9% (around 859,000 households) were affected. This shift represents a reduction of 127,000 households over the year.

Extreme fuel poverty also saw a sharp decline, dropping from 19.4% (491,000 households) in 2023 to 14.0% (357,000 households) in 2024. This improvement is primarily attributed to a 23.3% reduction in the average index price of fuels in Scotland compared to the previous year.

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Energy Efficiency Performance

Energy efficiency levels remained relatively stable compared to the previous year. Under current SAP 2012 metrics, 56% of Scottish homes (around 1.4 million) reached an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C or higher.

Long-term trends show substantial progress; using SAP 2009 for historical comparison, 62% of dwellings are now rated C or better, an increase of 38 percentage points since 2010. Conversely, properties in the lowest EPC bands (E, F, or G) have decreased from 27% in 2010 to just 8% in 2024.

Housing Standards and Disrepair

The survey found that 28% of all dwellings failed the tolerable standard in 2024, a figure similar to the 27% reported in 2023. The leading cause of failure was related to fire safety equipment, with 532,000 dwellings (76% of failures) lacking satisfactory smoke detection systems. Additionally, 55% of failing dwellings (383,000) did not meet carbon monoxide warning criteria. While the failure rate for smoke alarms improved by 5 percentage points over the year, carbon monoxide compliance remained static.

In the social sector, the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) failure rate was 41%, down from 60% in 2010. Energy efficiency requirements remain the primary obstacle for social landlords, with 25% of social properties failing to meet this specific criterion in 2024.

Regarding structural integrity, 48% of all dwellings were found to have disrepair to critical elements—those essential for weather-tightness and stability. This is a slight increase from 45% in 2023. Within this group, 19% of all dwellings had urgent disrepair to critical elements, while 2% faced extensive damage.