Council housing energy efficiency

Request data on the energy efficiency of council housing stock and progress towards EESSH targets.

Councils are working towards the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH), which sets minimum energy efficiency targets. This data shows how much of the housing stock meets the standard and what remains to be done.

Dear [AUTHORITY NAME], Please provide the following information as at [DATE e.g. 31 March 2025]: 1. The total number of council-owned homes. 2. The number and percentage of homes that meet the EESSH standard. 3. The number of homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or below. 4. The estimated cost of bringing all homes up to the EESSH standard. I would prefer to receive this as a spreadsheet or CSV if possible. Yours faithfully, [YOUR NAME]
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Who to send it to#

Your local council’s housing department. Find your council on the Commissioner’s directory of Scottish public authorities. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.

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Tips#

  • Councils report some EESSH data to the Scottish Housing Regulator through the Annual Return on the Charter. Check what is already published before submitting your request.
  • EESSH2 set a higher target for 2032, but its milestones are on hold while the Scottish Government develops a replacement Social Housing Net Zero Standard. You can still ask how far the council is from the 2032 benchmark.
  • This is environmental information, so it falls under the EIR rather than FOISA. You do not need to give a reason for your request.