In the Scottish Parliament, I asked about what discussions the Scottish Government has had to encourage home owners to decarbonise their properties as part of Scotland’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2045.
The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy (Gillliam Martin) said:
“As part of the development of the next climate change plan, I have had discussions with a range of colleagues, including the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, on heat in buildings in particular.
“Decarbonising Scotland’s buildings is essential to achieving net zero by 2045, because heat is one of the most significant sources of emissions. Our programme of support schemes and advice services helps home owners to play their part by funding a significant share of the decarbonisation cost. We are investing £300 million in 2025-26 in supporting more than 20,000 households to save up to £500 a year on their energy bills”
I welome this. At every opportunity, we must support home owners to decarbonise their properties, including by moving from heat systems that are reliant on fossil fuels to alternatives such as ground-source heat pumps.
Often, however, when a heating system breaks down and is beyond repair, home owners need to move swiftly to secure heating and hot water for their families as soon as possible, particularly if they have small children or elderly relatives at home.
That can necessitate the installation of a like-for-like system for speed – something that I have direct experience of.
I wanted to know what action the Scottish Government can take to address barriers in switching to alternative heat sources in such circumstances, where time is of the essence and delays in installing good-enough heat systems might deter many.
The Cabinet Secretary further replied:
“I recognise the scenario that Mr Doris outlines, and I recognise that most home owners will replace like for like when an existing boiler breaks down, because it is an emergency purchase. Our support schemes are there to help home owners either to replace their boiler with a clean heating system before that stage or to put plans in place for when their boiler reaches the end of its life.
“The Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme helps people across Scotland plan for and install heat pumps, and more than 2,500 pumps have been funded by the scheme in the past financial year. We will shortly be launching a national campaign to promote Home Energy Scotland, which provides households with free, impartial advice on energy efficiency and clean heating and can help households access the support that is available. I would also note that Glasgow City Council is working at pace to plan for significant heat networks in the city, as part of its stated goal to be a net zero city.”