FOI/202600521891 · FOI · partially withheld
Information relating to applications received by the Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme: FOI release
Information requested
Please provide the following information as of the date this request is processed:
The total number of applications received for the scheme. The total number of applications approved. The total number of applications refused. The total value of payments issued to successful applicants. A breakdown of the reasons applications have been refused, where such information is recorded. Copies of any analysis, reports, briefings, or summaries relating to: a) Scheme uptake or application volumes. b) Approval and refusal rates. c) The impact of the eligibility criteria on access to the scheme.
Response
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.
This is because the Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme is operated by Advice Direct Scotland ("ADS"), through their homeheatingadvice.scot website. As such, ADS hold the data that would be required to provide answers to the majority of your queries. Please note that as ADS are a charity they are exempt from FOI requests.
ADS, however, do provide the Scottish Government with regular updates and we do hold some information and have provided this below.
Please note that this is a live administrative system and the figures could be subject to future revision. We are also unable to verify these figures as the data is held by ADS.
These figures are also from 6 July 2026 as this is the latest date the Scottish Government holds figures for.
1) The total number of applications received for the scheme.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is due to the Scottish Government not holding records for the date this FOI was processed.
However, we do hold records provided by ADS that suggest, as of 6 July 2026, 9,161 applications had been received.
Please note that this figure includes both applications for heating oil and liquid petroleum gas.
2) The total number of applications approved.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is due to the Scottish Government not holding records for the date this FOI was processed.
However, we do hold records provided by ADS that suggest, as of 6 July 2026, 3,270 applications had met the eligibility requirements and an award made.
Please note that this figure includes both applications for heating oil and liquid petroleum gas.
3) The total number of applications refused.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is due to the Scottish Government not holding records for the date this FOI was processed.
However, we do hold records provided by ADS that suggest, as of 6 July 2026, 4,718 applications had been determined to not meet the eligibility requirements.
Please note that this figure includes both applications for heating oil and liquid petroleum gas.
4) The total value of payments issued to successful applicants.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is due to the Scottish Government not holding records for the date this FOI was processed.
However, we do hold records provided by ADS that suggest, as of 6 July 2026, 3,270 applications had met the eligibility requirements and an award made. Each award is for £300 which would suggest a total of £981,000 awarded to applications that met the eligibility requirements.
Please note that this figure includes both applications for heating oil and liquid petroleum gas.
5) A breakdown of the reasons applications have been refused, where such information is recorded.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
This is due to the Scottish Government not holding records for the reasons applications have been refused.
However, applications will be refused where an applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements. The eligibility requirements can be found on the ADS website, under the FAQs section found here: https://homeheatingadvice.scot/faqs/
Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
6a) Copies of any analysis, reports, briefings, or summaries relating to: a) Scheme uptake or application volumes.
I attach a copy of some of the documents requested. Please note that these capture data held at particular points in time. The figures provided in the answers to questions 1 to 4 above provide the latest available information.
Additionally, information with statistics from 25 June 2026 are available from the answer to Parliamentary Question S7W-00787 and can be found on the Scottish Parliament website here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers/question?ref=S7W-00787
Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (third party personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested. In addition, information not within the scope of your request has also been redacted.
6b) Copies of any analysis, reports, briefings, or summaries relating to: b) Approval and refusal rates.
I attach a copy of some of the documents requested. Please note that these capture data held at particular points in time. The figures provided in the answers to questions 1 to 4 above provide the latest available information.
Additionally, information with statistics from 25 June 2026 are available from the answer to Parliamentary Question S7W-00787 and can be found on the Scottish Parliament website here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers/question?ref=S7W-00787
Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.
An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (third party personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested. In addition, information not within the scope of your request has also been redacted.
6c) Copies of any analysis, reports, briefings, or summaries relating to: c) The impact of the eligibility criteria on access to the scheme.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
About FOI
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Detected exemption language
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.