Heat network licensing: equality impact assessment

The Scope of the EQIA

The installation and maintenance licence will allow licensees to hold rights and powers that will assist them with the development, construction and maintenance of their heat networks in Scotland. This EQIA is assessing only the impact of the public consultation for the introduction of this licence, and not all the proposals detailed within the draft Heat in Buildings Bill. As a result, we have completed an assessment now, with further EQIAs to follow for the implementation of secondary legislation.

As a group the Heat Network Regulations team members met to discuss and assess the potential positive and negative impacts across all groups listed under the Equality Act 2010.

We discussed the following groups:

• Age
• Disability
• Sex
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Socio-economic and geographic factors
• Consultation accessibility
• Evidence and data
• Mitigation and monitoring

We also considered the three Public Sector Equality Duty needs:

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• Advancing equality of opportunity
• Promoting good relations among and between different age groups

We also researched the following:

1. The Priority Services Register

2. Scottish roadworks legislation

3. Scottish Government & APS publishing guidelines

4. Scottish Government web pages relating to accessible communications

5. Stakeholder sessions relating to heat networks under the Heat Networks Scotland Act 2021 in December 2023 and April 2024.

6. UK Government public consultation on consumer protections in November 2024