Publications

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is a member of the Scottish Government's Regulation of Energy Efficiency in the Private Sector (REEPS) working group. This is a stakeholder advisory group drafting regulations for consultation that will help the Scottish Government improve the energy efficiency of Scotland’s existing private sector housing stock. To support this work CAS commissioned independent research that could help the working group better understand homeowners’ and private rented tenants’ attitudes and awareness of energy efficiency measures, including the potential barriers to taking action and consumers’ likely response to any future regulation. The full research report is available separately. 

This accompanying evidence review complements the commissioned research by summarising the key findings from four focus groups, and brings these findings together with additional evidence collected by the Scottish Citizens Advice service. These further insights have helped identify the everyday realities for many Scottish households unable to adequately heat their homes or who live in poor quality housing, which can often lead to preventable health problems.

The Citizens Advice Service (Citizens Advice - England & Wales and Citizens Advice Scotland) commissioned the Association for the Conservation of Energy, CAG Consultants, Centre for Sustainable Energy and Dr Joanne Wade to investigate the case for the local delivery of home energy efficiency and fuel poverty services across Great Britain. 

This publication provides the joint response of Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland (the 'Citizens Advice Service') to the Competition & Markets Authority's (CMA) energy market investigation consultation on their updated issues statement published on 18 February 2015.

The submission provides detailed comments on each of the theories of harm, as well as an overview of the Citizens Advice Service's views on the CMA's interim findings and the areas where we believe analysis should be further developed.

CAS contributed evidence to the independent Commission on Housing & Wellbeing's wide-ranging consultation on how housing can promote a society in which everyone can flourish.

This submission was prepared by the Consumer Futures team within Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland (The Citizens Advice Service). It has statutory responsibilities to represent the interests of energy consumers in Great Britain and we welcome the opportunity to respond to this consultation. 

In our view, the Draft Determination represents a mixed outcome for consumers. While there are positive elements we continue to be concerned that the DNOs will be over-remunerated under RIIO-ED1. We ask therefore that Ofgem clarifies the assumptions that underpin the headline figures in the Draft Determination and that reporting arrangements meeting this description are implemented in time for the commencement of RIIO-ED1 in April 2015. 

We also take this opportunity to comment on some specific aspects of the Draft Determination that we have not addressed in detail in earlier submissions, including forecast savings from smart metering and grids, and losses.

In 2014 Consumer Futures commissioned Verco and Cambridge Econometrics to assess the social, environmental and macroeconomic impact of investing carbon tax revenues in energy efficiency programmes for fuel poor households in Scotland. It follows on from a similar UK-wide study commissioned by Consumer Futures in 2012 that demonstrated that investing money raised through carbon taxes into household energy efficiency creates more jobs and growth than other kinds of major government investment or tax cuts, in addition to delivering environmental and social benefits. The 2014 report that can be downloaded below focuses specifically on assessing and quantifying these benefits within the Scottish context.

Advice in Detail: Energy looks at the energy related issues which people brought to the Scottish CAB Service in 2012/13.  The report, based on evidence from citizens advice bureaux and the Citizens Advice consumer service, shows that consumers continue to face many and varied problems with their energy, from high costs to poor selling practices.  The report also demonstrates the value of CAB advice, with the financial gain for clients reaching almost a quarter of a million pounds in 2012/13 – up 15% from the previous year. 

This report examines the types of issues on which clients sought advice with regards to their household energy in 2011/12. It also examines the client profile of people seeking help on such issues, thus allowing support to be targeted at the groups where it is most needed.

This report provides a snapshot of the issues that are affecting consumers in Scotland, examining both national and local trends in consumer issues. This is based on data provided by the majority of citizens advice bureaux in Scotland and data from the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline. We will aim to publish Consumer Snapshot on a regular basis to provide an up-to-date overview of the issues facing consumers in Scotland.

This report covers the first two quarters of the financial year 2012/13 from April-September 2012.