Scottish Government

HECA REPORT
Home Energy Conservation Act (1995)

Third HECA progress report for the Scottish Parliament

SE/2005 Laid before the Scottish Parliament by the Scottish Ministers, February 2005

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Executive summary

Scottish local authorities submitted their Third HECA Progress Reports during 2004. These reports provided information on both the incremental progress towards meeting their agreed HECA targets achieved between April 2001 and March 2003, and the cumulative progress achieved since 1997.

Communities Scotland monitors progress on targets set for the Home Energy Conservation Act on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Communities Scotland is the Scottish Executive's housing and regeneration agency, working with others to ensure decent housing and strong communities across Scotland.

From these reports, it can be seen that local authorities are continuing to develop partnership arrangements to deliver energy efficiency measures: more than three-quarters of Scottish authorities having established formal partnerships involving other authorities, community sector agencies and utilities. Local authorities continue to develop policies aimed at taking the personal circumstances of households into account: over three-quarters have now made a commitment to tackling fuel poverty and targeting their advice and promotional activities on vulnerable households. The greatest increase in activity was seen in the delivery of direct energy advice. During the third reporting period, direct advice was provided to 148,063 households, a 50% increase on the last progress report.

Total reported expenditure on energy efficiency activities amounted to £428 million during the third reporting period, and a total of £1,297 million of expenditure over the first six years of HECA.

The figures reported for the 2001-2003 period indicate that:

• new windows were fitted in 58,374 dwellings
• new heating systems (both first time and replacements) were installed in 61,731 dwellings
• low energy light bulbs were distributed to 41,644 households
• draughtproofing was fitted in 31,718 dwellings
• loft insulation was fitted in over 32,862 dwellings
• cavity wall insulation was installed in 13,253 dwellings
• hot water cylinder jackets were fitted in 7,628 dwellings
• energy advice was provided directly to 148,063 households
• home energy efficiency visits were completed in 53,125 homes
• 91,482 home energy survey reports were issued
• 23,245 dwellings received packages of unspecified insulation measures
• 11,331 households benefited from works under the Warm Deal programme.

As with previous HECA progress reports, the reported measures and expenditure in the third progress reports are likely to underestimate the overall levels due to the lack of available information on the private sector. Only one authority reported on attempts to measure the level of activity in the private sector.

The impact of completed energy efficiency measures across all tenures shows a continued acceleration in the rate of progress. This includes:

• an estimated saving of 13.5 PJ, representing an overall 5.75% improvement in energy efficiency across the Scottish domestic sector during 2001-2003 compared to the 1997 base figures, and an overall improvement of 29.9 PJ, representing a 12.74% improvement since the start of HECA
• households in Scotland being £51.75 better off on average as a result of energy efficiency improvements during 2001-2003, and £114 better off since the start of HECA in 1997
• an estimated reduction of 0.94 million tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions during 2001-2003, representing a 5.29% reduction compared to the 1997 base figures, and an overall reduction of 2.4 million tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions, representing a 13.69% improvement since the start of HECA
• an estimated reduction in SOx emissions of 3712.5 tonnes during the 2001-2003 period, and 8222.6 tonnes since the start of HECA
• an estimated reduction in NOx emissions of 1,781.2 tonnes during 2001-2003 period, and 3,945.2 tonnes since the start of HECA
• an estimated 10,700 jobs sustained in installation work and 6,114 jobs sustained elsewhere in the economy as a result of the reported investment of £428 million in energy efficiency during the 2001-2003 reporting period.

The Third HECA Progress Reports have shown that Scottish local authorities have increased the overall rate of progress in terms of improving energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions compared to previous reporting periods. Some local authorities are very close to achieving their original agreed HECA targets; others still have work to do. Generally, the rates of improvement seen in 2001-2003 will have to continue if the majority of authorities are to meet their HECA targets.

1. Background to HECA in Scotland

The Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) was introduced into Scotland in 1996. This Act designated all Scottish local authorities as energy conservation authorities, each with a duty to devise strategies to achieve significant improvements in the energy efficiency of their respective housing stocks, across all tenures, over the next 10-15 years.

All Scottish local authorities published their initial HECA strategies in 1997. These initial strategies were used by The Scottish Office (now, the Scottish Executive) as the basis of agreeing individual target improvements in energy efficiency with each local authority. The individual local authority targets for improving energy efficiency, which take account of local circumstances and conditions, range from 8.5% to 36.4% on the original base case figures.

Local authorities submitted their First HECA Progress Reports, covering the period between April 1997 and March 1999, to the Scottish Executive in 2000, 1 and their Second Progress Reports covering the period between April 1999 and March 2001, in 2002. 2 The Third HECA Progress Reports, covering activities and progress between April 2001 and March 2003, were submitted in 2004. These progress reports are required to address specific mandatory topics:

• improvements in energy efficiency
• reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
• policies (if any) for taking personal circumstances into account
• cost of improvement measures.

Local authorities were free to report on discretionary items such as:

• reductions in the oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SOx)
• number of jobs created
• average savings in fuel bills and kilowatt hours of fuel
• improvements in the energy rating of the housing stock.

To assist with the preparation of these reports, the Scottish Executive carried out a general briefing of local authorities at the Scottish HECA Officers Network meeting in March 2004. Additionally, it arranged for the provision of a calculation spreadsheet and reporting template, and the organisation of a practical workshop on the use of the spreadsheet in May 2004.

This document summarises the activities, achievements and progress reported by Scottish authorities in their Third HECA Progress Reports.

2. Overview of summary of Third HECA Progress Report

Scottish authorities reported on a wide range of activities and achievements, both mandatory and discretionary achievements, in their Third HECA Progress Reports, including:

• improvements in energy efficiency
• reductions in carbon dioxide emissions
• organisational structures
• partnership arrangements
• estimates of expenditure
• policies on personal circumstances
• reductions in SOx and NOx emissions.

An overall summary of local authority progress on the mandatory topics is set out in Annex A of this summary report.

Most Scottish authorities reported on both the incremental achievements for the third reporting period, as well as their cumulative achievements since 1997. 3 Where possible in this summary report, incremental progress during the 2001 to 2003 period, as well as for the previous reporting periods, and the cumulative impact since 1997, are presented. 4

Not all authorities reported on all of the discretionary items contained in this report, e.g. SOx and NOx, or reported on them or calculated the change in the same way. In these situations, standard coefficients were applied across all local authority figures, or applied to the total reductions in energy consumption, to calculate improvements in the Scottish situation.

Many authorities focused in some detail on practical projects that not only contributed to improving energy efficiency, but also contributed to meeting other priorities and commitments, including contributing to international agreements related to sustainable development and climate change, improvements to health, tackling social exclusion, and alleviating poverty, particularly fuel poverty. Some authorities have reported in some detail on the development of their Fuel Poverty Strategies, which were not approved or in force during the third reporting period but should feature significantly in future HECA progress reports. Practical initiatives initiated by individual local authorities, and identified within the Third Progress Reports, formed the basis of the case studies reported in this summary report.

3. Local authority organisational structures and arrangements for HECA

From the beginning of HECA, the Scottish Executive recognised that local authorities would not deliver on their targets if HECA was not integrated into the local authorities' existing arrangements, structures and policies. The Scottish Executive encouraged the appointment of an officer responsible for implementing the HECA strategy, inter-departmental working, and partnerships with external bodies. The Scottish Executive encouraged authorities to focus attention on HECA by agreeing mission statements, or making corporate commitments that were led and endorsed by elected members and senior officers. The First HECA Progress Reports indicated that local authorities were putting these structures in place. The Second HECA Progress Reports provided evidence that considerable progress was being made on the adoption of these principles by local authorities. The Third HECA Progress Reports confirm that these efforts are continuing.

By March 2003, the total number of authorities that had agreed a mission statement had increased to 16. The number of authorities that had adopted formal energy or energy management policies remained unchanged at 25, compared to the previous period. Only six authorities now have a dedicated, full-time HECA officer (compared with eight in the previous period). However, there are now three full-time, dedicated HECA units compared to only two at March 2001. There was a more than 50% increase in the number of authorities that had delegated responsibility for HECA to a specific officer (18 as of March 2003, compared with only 11 in March 2001) (see Table 1).

The most significant challenge facing authorities in implementing HECA remains the responsibility for promoting energy efficiency measures across all tenures, and not just amongst local authority housing - an issue that becomes increasingly critical as some local authorities divest themselves of owning dwellings. It is encouraging to note that the number of authorities which have established inter-departmental working groups with participation from outside the local authority has continued to increase, with 19 as of March 2003 compared to 17 for the previous reporting period. Further, all authorities acknowledged the need for HECA to fit into their wider corporate frameworks, compared to only 25 previously. It also appears that interdepartmental working groups set up to assist prepare the original HECA strategies have either been reconvened or been newly established, with 15 authorities now reporting their existence compared to only 4 in the previous reporting period (see Table 1).

Table 1: Local authority organisational arrangements for HECA (by HECA reporting period)

4. External partnerships

The Scottish Executive has encouraged local authorities to develop partnerships to deliver energy efficiency improvements both within their own housing stock and, more importantly, across all other tenures.

The Second HECA Progress Reports found that 18 authorities had established formal partnerships with other local authorities, agencies, fuel utilities and contractors in order to maximise the level of energy efficiency activity in their area. By March 2003, the number of authorities establishing formal partnerships had risen to 24 (see Table 2). These partnerships have proved effective in:

• obtaining external funding such as HECAtion funding (an Energy- Saving Trust initiative)
• maximising funding from sources such as Scottish Executive's Warm Deal and the Energy Efficiency Standards of Performance and the Energy Efficiency Commitment initiatives run by the fuel utilities
• promoting grants schemes and discount loans
• providing energy advice, home visits and, in particular, establishing education programmes for primary schools
• promoting general awareness in the community.

A few authorities have gone further and attempted to forge partnerships with agencies and authorities from other countries within the European Union. Two international partnerships, that is, the South Ayrshire Energy Agency and Alienergy (established by Argyll and Bute Council) were fully operational during this reporting period.

Table 2: Local authority external partnership agreements for HECA (by HECA reporting period)

5. Practical improvements

The HECA targets to improve the energy efficiency of dwellings will not be achieved without investment in measures to improve the heating and insulation characteristics of the dwelling stock. Within the Third HECA Progress Reports, as with previous Progress Reports, the reporting on practical improvements continues to focus almost completely on work completed within the local authority stock. Only one authority made an estimate of the general levels of activity in the owner-occupied, outwith the HECA spreadsheet, through a sample questionnaire.

The number of energy efficiency improvement measures overall and the amount spent on such improvements during the 2001-2003 period shows a downturn when the results are compared with previous reporting periods (see Table 3). Such reductions are not unexpected given the focus on improvements being primarily the local authorities' own investment programmes, and the predominance of window replacement and central heating installation and replacement programmes within the reported HECA figures. The Third Progress Reports confirm that fitting double glazing and installing new or replacement heating systems account for the largest number of dwellings and the largest amount of expenditure within the reported figures. Since the last HECA reporting period, there has also been a reduction in the number of dwellings reported as receiving new or additional loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, and floor insulation. Many of these programmes are coming to their natural end 5 within the public sector.

The reduction in households benefiting from Warm Deal programme during the 2001-2003 period may be due in part to a change in the way the figures are being reported. There is a more than corresponding increase in the number of dwellings receiving unspecified 'packages of measures' as these are likely to be predominantly Warm Deal measures (see Table 3).

Table 3: Energy efficiency improvements completed (by HECA reporting period and cumulatively)

6. Energy advice, information and promotion

The Scottish Executive acknowledges that an effective and comprehensive energy advice and information service will be an integral feature of local authority HECA strategies. With the owner-occupied and private rented sectors, these activities will be particularly important given that persuasion is the only direct influence they have over these two tenures. It is therefore encouraging to find that the number of households receiving some form of advice, whether through direct contact, a home visit, or provision of a home energy report continues to increase (see Table 4).

From past HECA Progress Reports, it was identified that many authorities were working with and financially supporting the network of local energy efficiency advice centres (LEEACs). This support increased during the 2001-2003 period, with the number of authorities reporting that they financially supporting the LEEACs increasing from 21 to 23 (see Table 4).

Local authorities have also continued to extend their support to include other external agencies that are involved in the provision of energy advice, information and promotional activities. The number of authorities supporting other energy advice providers has increased from 24 to 29. The number of authorities with their own dedicated advice units remained unchanged at eight (see Table 4).

To be effective, as with any commercial advertising campaign, the energy efficiency message needs to be reinforced and repeated the message over time. Therefore, it is anticipated that the numbers of households being targeted with energy advice, information and promotional campaigns should continue at the present high levels reported here for some considerable time.

Table 4: Number of households receiving energy advice (by HECA reporting period)

The Third HECA Progress Reports confirm that local authorities are continuing to be involved in a wide range of other energy advice services. These include education programmes for primary school children, community energy efficiency sessions, training for tenants groups and local authority staff, promotional activities and leafleting. There has been a slight drop in the number of education projects, but this may be due to these topics being covered within the mainstream educational curriculum. More than half of all authorities continue to offer targeted advice as part of their heating investment programmes (see Table 5).

Table 5: Energy advice, information and promotional activities (by HECA reporting period)

7. Expenditure on energy efficiency improvements

Total reported expenditure on energy efficiency activities during the third reporting period amounted to £428 million (see Table 6). This amount of expenditure is a reduction on the £499 million reported for the 1999-2001 period.

The Third HECA Progress Reports will be an underestimate of the total expenditure on energy efficiency across all tenures. Local authorities have generally only reported on their own expenditure. Some included expenditure from externally funded grant programmes such as HECAction, the Warm Deal, and the Energy Efficiency Standards of Performance and Energy Efficiency Commitment programmes. A few reported on expenditure by housing associations within their area.

Only one authority included an estimated of expenditure in the private sector, and they did this using the results from a random sample questionnaire. Few authorities reported on the costs associated with delivering energy advice schemes.

Table 6: Reported expenditure on energy efficiency (by HECA reporting period and cumulatively)

Over the six years of HECA, the expenditure on window replacement represented 24% of total reported expenditure, while the investment in new and replacement heating systems accounted for another 20%. These two principal measures account for 44% of total reported expenditure between 1997 and 2003. The non-specific measures account for 46.6% over the six years (see Figure 1).

8. The impact of HECA 2001-2003

In their initial HECA strategy reports, Scottish authorities calculated a baseline position for both energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in their areas. In their first progress reports, local authorities were asked to evaluate the impact of their achievements over the 1997-1999 period against their 1997 base line position. In subsequent reports, including the Third HECA Progress Report, authorities were asked to evaluate both the incremental change over the reporting period and the overall impact of their achievements since HECA started in 1997.

8.1 Improvements in energy efficiency

The Third HECA Progress Reports confirm that this steady progress is continuing. The authorities' incremental improvements in energy efficiency during the 2001-2003 reporting period ranged between 1.28% and 23.78% (compared to their base figures) 6 ( see Appendix A), with an average reduction of 5.75% on the 1997 base figure. Compared to the previous reporting periods:

• 25 authorities reported rates of improvement in energy efficiency in excess of 3% over the two-year period (compared to 19 in the 1999-2001 period, and only 10 during the 1999-2001 period)
• nine authorities reported rates of improvement in excess of 5% over the two years (compared to only seven in the 1999-2001 period and only four during the 1999-2001 period)
• five authorities reported rates of improvement in excess of 6% over the 2001-2003 period (compared to only four in the 1999-2001 period and only one during the 1999-2001 period) (see Table 7).

Table 7: Comparison of percentage improvement in energy efficiency (by HECA reporting period)

When local authorities' cumulative performance over the first six years of HECA is examined six of the 32 local authorities have improved their energy efficiency performance by over 15% on their baseline figure. Another 13 authorities have improved their energy efficiency performance by more than 10% (see Table 8).

Table 8: Cumulative improvement in energy efficiency 1997-2003 (by % of baseline figure)

From the figures reported by the Scottish authorities, energy consumption across the whole of the Scottish domestic sector decreased by 13.5 petajoules (PJ) over the 2001-2003 period, a reduction of 5.75% on the base figure (see Figure 2). Overall, since the beginning of HECA in 1997, energy consumption has fallen by 29.9 PJ, representing a reduction of 12.74% on the 1997 baseline energy figures. 7

Figure 2: Reduction in household energy consumption in Scotland (1997-2003) (as reported under HECA Progress reports)

When averaged out across the total dwelling stock, energy consumption declined by 6.42 GJ (i.e. 1,783 kWh) per dwelling between 2001 and 2003. When converted to a monetary value, this reduction in energy consumption represents a saving of approximately £51.75 per household on average. 8 Aggregating the total reductions achieved between the start of HECA in 1997 and 2003 demonstrates an average fall of 14.22 GJ in the energy consumed per dwelling, representing a value of £114 per household.

8.2 Reduction in carbon dioxide emissions

In the Third HECA Progress Reports, the reported reductions in CO2 emissions varied between 0.72% and 21.92% when compared against the original base figures for CO2 emissions 9 ( see Appendix B), with an average reduction of 5.29% compared to the 1997 base figure. Compared to the previous reporting periods:

• 24 authorities reported rates of reductions in CO2 emissions in excess of 3% over the two-year period (compared to 14 in the 1999-2001 period, and 22 during the 1999-2001 period)
• nine authorities reported rates of reductions in CO2 emissions in excess of 5% over the two years (compared to only 6 in the 1999-2001 period and 8 during the 1999-2001 period)
• seven authorities reported rates of reductions in CO2 emissions in excess of 6% over the 2001-2003 period (compared to 5 in the 1999-2001 period and 4 during the 1999-2001 period) (see Table 9).

Table 9: Comparison of percentage reductions in CO2 emissions (by HECA reporting period)

When the cumulative performance over the Scottish authorities over the first six years of HECA is examined the reductions in carbon dioxide emissions range from between 0.17% and 30.63% ( see Appendix B).

Of the 32 local authorities, 20 have reduced their carbon dioxide emissions by 10% or more, of which two have reduced them by more than 15%, three by more than 20% and one by more than 30% (see Table 10).

Table 10: Cumulative reductions in CO2 emissions 1997-2003 (by % of baseline figure)

The overall decline in CO2 emissions for the 2001-2003 period was 0.94 million tonnes of CO2, a mean reduction of 5.29% compared to the 1997 base CO2 emission figures. Over the first 6 years of HECA, CO2 emissions have fallen from 17.7 million tonnes to 15.3 million tonnes, which represents an overall reduction of 13.69% since HECA started (see Figure 3). Averaged out across the overall dwelling stock carbon emissions fell from 8.43 tonnes per dwelling in 1997 to 7.27 tonnes per dwelling in 2003.

Figure 3: Reduction in household CO2 emissions in Scotland (1997-2003) (as reported under HECA Progress reports)

9. Personal circumstances and tackling fuel poverty

Scottish authorities were required to report on policies that took into account personal circumstances when implementing HECA. Although the term 'personal circumstances' will include fuel poverty issues, it was intended to encompass a wide range of other influences on energy consumption such as income, age, health, disability, family size and responsibilities, ethnicity, and standard of accommodation as well.

The Second HECA Progress Reports indicated that local authorities were giving personal circumstances more consideration within their HECA strategies. The Third HECA Progress Reports confirm that the commitment in this area reported in the Second HECA Progress Reports is being maintained. Since 2001, another two authorities have confirmed that tackling fuel poverty is now a priority within their authority, bringing the total to 26 of the 32. While no authority completely ignored the issue of personal circumstances or fuel poverty, the reported level of importance varied between authorities (see Table 11). The Scottish Executive is encouraged to note that there has been a significant increase, from eight to 19, in the number of authorities that are actively targeting advice at identified need categories. A total of five authorities employed quantified affordable warmth indicators to assess the existing level of fuel poverty and the impact of HECA related measures on removing households from fuel poverty.

Table 11: Local authority involvement with personal circumstances

Some local authorities referred to the development of their Fuel Poverty Strategies in their Third HECA Progress Reports. This summary report does not cover Fuel Poverty Strategies as the time frame for their preparation, submission and implementation fell outwith the 2001 to 2003 reporting period for HECA. It is expected that Fuel Poverty Strategies will feature highly in the next HECA Summary Report.

10. Other indicators

Local authorities were given discretion to report on the impact their HECA strategies on other indicators. Three particular items mentioned in the HECA guidance were job creation, and the reduction of atmospheric emissions of NOx and SOx. As with previous HECA progress reports, there is a lack of consistency in the approach to reporting on these issues, if not a complete lack of any reporting by authorities.

A total of 17 authorities reported on job creation during 2001-2003 compared with 19 authorities for 1999-2001. Of these:

• two authorities reported that their New Deal initiatives employed 17 people (compared with 4 initiatives employing 165 in 1999-2001);
• 17 authorities calculated that 8,258 jobs were created either using actual numbers or using employment creation multipliers (compared with 19 authorities and 2,952 jobs in 1999-2001).

The reported expenditure of £428 million on energy efficiency measures during 2001-2003 is estimated here to have supported 10,700 jobs in installation work and 6,114 jobs elsewhere in the economy. ¹¹

Very few authorities reported on the reduction of NOx or SOx emissions. Applying the UK average NOx and SOx emissions co-efficients ¹² (as used in the original HECA Summary Report) to the energy consumption reduction of 13.5 PJ achieved during the 2001-2003 reporting period, produces a reduction in SOx of 3,712.5 tonnes and a reduction in NOx of 1,781.2 tonnes. Since the beginning of HECA in 1997, the overall reduction in energy consumption of 29.9 PJ represents an estimated reduction of 8,222.6 tonnes of SOx (see Figure 4) and 3,945.2 tonnes of NOx (see Figure 5).

Figure 4: Reduction in household SOx emissions in Scotland (1997-2003) (as reported under HECA Progress reports)

Figure 5: Reduction in household NOx emissions in Scotland (1997-2003) (as reported under HECA Progress reports)

11. Looking forward

The Third HECA Progress Reports have shown that the Scottish authorities continue to progress towards meeting their agreed targets. From the reported figures, there has been an apparent increase in the improvements in energy efficiency and reductions of carbon dioxide emissions. Some authorities are quite close to reaching their targets. However, the majority of authorities will have to continue, if not increase further, the rates of progress seen over the last two years if they are to achieve their HECA targets.

The Scottish Executive launched the Central Heating Programme in 2001 with the explicit target of installing new heating systems in all Scottish dwellings without central heating by 2006, and in social sector dwellings by 2004. During the next reporting period all local authority and housing association homes without central heating (with the exception of Glasgow) should have central heating installed.

The increased investment and commitment to the Warm Deal will see more money available for insulation schemes for vulnerable households. This money will be complemented with the funding being provided by the fuel utilities through the Energy Efficiency Commitment - EEC 2 details are being finalised now.

In the next reporting period, fuel poverty is likely to feature more prominently within the HECA Progress reports. The Scottish Executive published its Fuel Poverty Strategy in 2002, with its targets to eradicate fuel poverty in Scotland by 2016, and to reduce fuel poverty by 30% by 2006. All local authorities had to submit their Fuel Poverty Strategy to Communities Scotland in April 2004.

During the period covered by the next progress report, local authorities (and other social landlords) will also have been busy working on their Standard Delivery Plans setting out their approaches to delivering the Social Housing Quality Standard across all of the social housing dwellings. Improving energy efficiency within social housing is a key component in the Social Housing Quality Standard.

Delivering on all of these policies will not only meet the specific priorities and policy objectives but will also contribute to the local authorities' programmes for delivering on their HECA targets.

Appendix A: Local authority-reported energy efficiency Improvements under HECA (1997-2003)

Appendix B: Local authority-reported reductions in carbon dioxide emissions under HECA (1997-2003)

Footnotes

1 The first progress reports were summarised in Scottish Executive (2001) HECA Report: Home Energy Conservation Act (1995): First Report to the Scottish Parliament, published by the Scottish Executive. Copies are available at www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/energy/heca-00.asp.

2 These reports were summarised in Scottish Executive (2003) HECA Report: Home Energy Conservation Act (1995): Second Progress Report for the Scottish Parliament, published by the Scottish Executive. Copies are available at www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/housing/heca03-01.asp.

3 In most instances, the figures presented in this report are those as reported by the individual local authorities in their HECA Progress Reports. In a small number of instances, the reported figures were corrected or amended.

4 In a few cases only, it was necessary to refer back to an authority's original HECA strategy and/or previous progress reports to calculate the changes.

5 For example, by March 2004 all local authority dwellings should have a central heating system installed.

6 During the preparation of this summary report, it became obvious some local authorities were comparing their % incremental change on the previous period, and some were comparing it with their 1997 baseline figure.
To enable direct comparisons between all of the local authorities, and across all of the reporting periods, all of the local authority reported improvements in energy efficiency performance were recalculated and compared against their respective 1997 base line figure. The incremental percentage figures quoted in this report may vary slightly with those in the actual progress reports of individual authorities and on the incremental improvements reported in previous summary reports. This adjustment should not effect the overall reported improvements in energy efficiency over the whole of the 1997-2003 period, except where there were inconsistencies in the reported local authority data. Appendix A provides a complete breakdown of the figures, both incrementally for all of the reporting periods to date, and the overall change since HECA started for each Scottish authority.

7 These totals will differ slightly from those reported to the Scottish Parliament in 2001 because they now take account of all 32 local authorities for the 1997-1999 period, and have been corrected for inconsistencies in previously reported data.

8 Calculated on the basis of 1 kWh = 2.9p or 1GJ = £8.06.

9 For the reasons already set out in Footnote 6, all reported reductions or percentage reductions in carbon dioxide emissions were recalculated by comparing them with the 1997 base figure for carbon dioxide emissions so as to be able to compare them directly between local authorities and across reporting periods.

10. An error in one authority's HECA spreadsheet calculations has resulted in an increase in their CO2 emissions figures. The source of the error has been identified and reported to the authority, but it is too late to accommodate a change in this report.