Bill on backburner
Heat pump delay to new builds ‘would cut costs’
Homes for Scotland has called on the government to also delay installation of heat pumps in new-build homes.
Ministers have decided not to proceed with the Heat in Buildings Bill in its present form on the basis of concerns around the cost of retrofitting existing properties. It means the phasing out of gas boilers will be slowed down.
Lobby group Homes for Scotland now wants similar action to be taken regarding the increased regulatory burden on new homes which has been estimated to add over £30,000 onto the cost of building a home.
Fionna Kell, director of policy at HFS, said: “At a time of national housing emergency and with new homes in Scotland already highly energy efficient and built to some of the most stringent standards in Europe, we need to be encouraging the delivery of more homes of all tenures.
“It is now crucial that the Scottish Government pauses and reviews proposals around the introduction of further demands on the home building sector, such as the current proposals for a Passivhaus Equivalent Standard, until long term costs to homeowners and the impact on the sector’s ability to help end Scotland’s housing emergency are known.
“We will continue to work closely with officials regarding this.”
The decision has caused dismay for Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, who helped develop the bill while in government. He said: “The SNP’s decision to water down and further delay its Heat in Buildings bill will leave it with zero credibility on the climate emergency, while also locking people into high household energy bills.
“Home heating accounts for a huge chunk of Scotland’s carbon emissions. We badly need to change that if we are to have any hope of cutting bills and hitting our climate targets.”
Nicola Mahmood, head of Scotland at Aira, which installs heat pumps from its base in Stirling, said nearly a fifth of Scotland’s carbon emissions come from heating homes, and the heat pump industry is “essential” in driving the transition to clean, sustainable energy.
“In 2024 alone, heat pump installations grew by 20% compared to the previous year, showing that Scots are ready to embrace change, she said.
“Yet, for this industry to thrive and help us meet our climate targets, the government must ensure its policies genuinely support homeowners and installers alike.
“While taxation on electricity remains outside Holyrood’s control, there is a clear opportunity to reform the Home Energy Scotland funding scheme—making it more accessible and installer-friendly, without compromising on customer protection, to encourage broader participation from the heating sector.
“Aira will be seeking urgent clarification on the government’s statement that continuing with gas will be cheaper. If public money is used to prop up fossil fuels while clean energy alternatives struggle with policy barriers, Scotland will not only fall behind on its climate goals but also lock its citizens into higher long-term costs.”
Low carbon heat networks
SSE Energy Solutions and Scottish Water Horizons have unveiled a partnership to develop low-carbon district heat networks across Scotland.
The collaboration aims to accelerate Scotland’s transition to sustainable heating infrastructure, addressing the 37% of CO₂ emissions currently produced by heat in the UK.
The partnership will draw upon Scottish Water’s extensive wastewater infrastructure to capture thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted, providing sustainable heating for public and private sector buildings.
An initial project in Inverness, launched this week, will serve as a model for future developments and is expected to be operational by 2028.
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I’d love to see the evidence on this – HfS argument that it costs an extra £30k per new house doesn’t sound right. It might be worth talking to Evan Davis about this – he’s pretty knowledgable about the econmics of heat pumps.
Also shouldn’t you be on Bluesky too (rather than X) ?