Scottish housing associations are being “set up to fail” while trying to gain access to energy efficiency funding for cold and draughty homes, a new report has warned.

According to the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) findings, financial constraints, the cost-match funding required on their part, last-minute approvals, and the extensive administration work involved to prepare an application are key barriers to social landlords reaching the vital funding.

And with no guarantee of getting the funding, many have told CIOB that they find themselves unable to roll the dice to make a bid.

CIOB is warning that unless the government acts quickly, far too many social housing tenants will continue living in cold, draughty homes, and is calling for a ministerial oversight group on retrofit to bring ministers with responsibility for housing, net zero buildings, skills and education, and planning together to develop a National Retrofit Delivery Plan.

It adds that such a plan must consider the resources – both financial and human – that will be needed to bring Scotland’s housing stock up to the standards required to achieve housing, decarbonisation and fuel poverty targets.

Funding schemes are available for Scotland’s housing associations to improve the energy efficiency of their 280,000-strong housing stock through retrofit measures such as double glazing, draught proofing and insulation.

According to CIOB, research shows nearly 40% of Scottish households are currently living in fuel poverty, with the vast majority of those in the lowest income bracket, many of whom live in in social housing, while the Scottish government says heat in buildings accounts for approximately 20% of the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Jocelyne Fleming, policy and public affairs officer for Scotland at CIOB, said: “Clearly, the current system available to Scotland’s housing associations to access retrofit funding is not fit for purpose.

“They have extensive knowledge and expertise in undertaking retrofit projects, and are committed to providing good quality, warm and affordable homes to their tenants, but the current system makes it too difficult for them to access funding and use their experience to spend it effectively and efficiently.

“The formation of a ministerial oversight group and development of a National Retrofit Delivery Plan will ensure all relevant government departments can work together to think holistically about the resources needed to meet the retrofit challenge and allocate funding strategically across housing tenure and geographical location. Without this long-term, joined-up thinking, we risk leaving Scotland’s most vulnerable households living in cold, draughty homes and we will simply not meet Scottish Government’s 2030 net zero targets.”

Lachlan Wood, project manager of the Warm Homes Team at Argyll Community Housing Association, said: “CIOB’s report hits the nail on the head and sums up very well the issues we regularly face when it comes to planning, financing and resourcing retrofit projects for our properties.

“The funding model must be reviewed to allow registered social landlords to deliver on our mission to provide good quality, warm, energy efficient and affordable homes for our tenants. If we’re to achieve the targets set out by Scottish Government, then the system urgently needs improving and the whole matter of retrofitting given more focus.”

In a recent survey commissioned by CIOB, 38% of social housing tenants said they have not heard of any energy efficiency support schemes. The research also showed that lower energy bills are the biggest driver behind social housing tenants wanting energy efficiency upgrades to their homes.

Read CIOB’s report here.