Mean modelled annual running costs for households in Scotland were £2,640 in 2024, down from £3,150 in 2023, a fall of around 16.3%, according to the Scottish House Condition Survey 2024 Key Findings1. The report, an Accredited Official Statistics publication for Scotland, was published by the Scottish Government in February 2026 and is based on 2,902 surveyed properties, with household interviews carried out between January 2024 and February 20251.
The fall in running costs reflects a decline in fuel prices. The report states that in 2024 the weighted average index price of heating fuels fell by approximately 23.3% compared with 20231. The modelled running cost figure is a modelled estimate rather than a metered measurement of what households actually spent, and the report does not set out a breakdown of the £2,640 by fuel or by dwelling type.
Fuel poverty also fell over the same period. In 2024, an estimated 28.7% of all households were in fuel poverty, around 732,000 households, down from 33.9% and 859,000 in 20231. The report describes this as a decrease of 127,000 households, or five percentage points1. Around 357,000 households, or 14.0% of all households, were in extreme fuel poverty in 2024, down from 491,000, or 19.4%, in 2023, a decrease of 134,000 households or five percentage points1. The median fuel poverty gap in 2024 was £1,0301.
| Measure | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Mean modelled annual running costs | £3,150 | £2,640 |
| Fuel poverty (thousands) | 859 | 732 |
| Fuel poverty (%) | 33.9% | 28.7% |
| Extreme fuel poverty (thousands) | 491 | 357 |
| Extreme fuel poverty (%) | 19.4% | 14.0% |
The report also records a rise in household energy monitoring. In 2024, 54% of households reported having energy monitoring devices, higher than the 48% who reported having one in 20231. On heating systems, the report notes that from February 2023 boiler efficiency standards were again increased for all new and replacement boilers, and that from April 2024 the New Build Heat Standard now only allows zero direct emission heat solutions, a definition that includes heat networks, bioenergy and peat, to be installed in new builds1.
"Mean modelled annual running costs were £2,640 in 2024."
Why it matters for households
Running costs are the part of a household's energy position that changes with prices rather than with the fabric of the home, and the 2024 figures show how far a fall in fuel prices can move the headline number. A 23.3% fall in the weighted average index price of heating fuels1 translated into a 16.3% fall in mean modelled running costs, so the cost of heating a given home moved down without any change to the home itself. For a household weighing up heating running costs by fuel or heat pump running costs, the report's figures are modelled averages across the whole stock, not a prediction for any single property, and the report does not give running costs split by heating system.
The fuel poverty figures matter because they describe households for whom running costs exceed what is considered affordable, and the report shows both the number and the share falling between 2023 and 20241. The median fuel poverty gap of £1,030 indicates the scale of the shortfall for those households still in fuel poverty after the price fall1. The rise in reported energy monitoring, from 48% to 54% of households1, suggests more households have a means of seeing what their appliances and equipment cost to run, though the report does not link this to the fall in costs.
The report is a modelled estimate of running costs, and the site's guide to measured versus modelled home energy performance explains why the two can diverge. The wider UK domestic energy prices over time sit behind the price fall recorded here.
What happens next
The report states that, as a three year pooled data set for 2022 to 2024 is now available, a Local Authority level analysis will follow, with estimates expected to be published in mid 20261. No further dated steps are given in the report.
Sources1 cited
- Key+Findings+2024+-+Complete+report.pdf, gov.scot