The survey of residents’ housing conditions, energy use and experiences in getting repairs and upgrades done closed on 17th April with 426 responses – a magnificent total! Many thanks to everyone who took the time to contribute.
The information that people have shared gives a good picture of the home energy and repair needs across Skye and Lochalsh. We are now collating and analysing the data and preparing the report. We are continuing dialogue and collaboration with Home Energy Scotland, who have provided funding and information support. The plan is to have a conference in the Autumn to discuss the survey findings and look at what needs to be done next.
The responses cover all the postcodes in our area and 169 people provided comments with valuable extra details about their experiences.
Here are a few provisional findings:
- One in five households are rarely or never warm enough at home in winter
- About one third of households have major to moderate concerns about damp and mould
- There is poor access to retrofit advice and repair services
- There is high motivation to get home energy efficiency work done
- A clear majority of respondents say that upgrading homes to make them easier to keep warm will help tackle climate change.