Just 900 Scottish households have received support in the last year under a flagship SNP-Green scheme designed to help them with energy efficiency measures such as heat pumps, insulation and other upgrades.
The number of households receiving support under the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan programme – or its predecessor, Grant and Cashback – was fewer than 100 in all but two months in the year to August 2023, according to a written answer from minister Patrick Harvie.
The Scottish Greens co-leader said the monthly figures for two other schemes – administered by councils and Warmer Homes Scotland, respectively – were not published.
Scottish Conservative MSP Donald Cameron, who submitted the question, branded the HES figures “embarrassingly paltry” and the delivery of support to meet Patrick Harvie’s regulations a “dismal failure”.
He pointed out that, while households face potential bills of thousands of pounds to remove oil and gas boilers, only a tiny fraction have so far received help.
Scottish homeowners will be required to meet new minimum energy efficiency standards by 2033 – which may necessitate the removal of old oil and gas boilers and costly upgrades to insulation and heating systems.
This is likely to be particularly costly for older, detached rural homes and those off the gas grid.
Scottish Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands Donald Cameron said: “These are embarrassingly paltry figures for a flagship SNP-Green scheme.
“A huge number of households, particularly in rural areas, will be hit by Patrick Harvie’s new energy efficiency guidelines – yet precious few are getting government support for heat pumps and other measures.
“In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, Patrick Harvie wants to pile huge bills on homeowners.
“The SNP-Green government has so far provided financial support to only a tiny fraction of homes. This represents a dismal failure by ministers.
“As usual, with this nationalist coalition, it’s people living in rural Scotland who suffer disproportionately from this ill-considered policy.”
Notes
Patrick Harvie’s response to Donald Cameron’s question can be seen here: https://www.parlamaid-alba.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers/question?ref=S6W-21208
The SNP-Green Government’s Home Energy Scotland grants and loans are supposed to help households retrofit their homes for net zero. Households can get grants for up to £7,500 to install energy efficiency improvements and zero emission heating system, along with an optional interest-free loan of up to £7,500. Rural households can claim increased grants of up to £9,000. (The Scottish Government, 24 April 2023, link).
One in five Scottish homes are not connected to the gas grid. There are 512,000 off-gas properties in Scotland, accounting for 19% of Scottish domestic properties. Around 369,000 occupied dwellings (15%) in Scotland are beyond the reach of the gas grid network, the vast majority of which (259,000 homes) are in rural areas. (The Daily Record, 6 February 2023, link; The Scottish Government, November 2015, link)
Patrick Harvie brought forward a consultation on proposals which would require homeowners to meet new energy efficiency standards by 2033. The proposals would ensure that the use polluting heating systems would be prohibited by 2045, would require homeowners to ensure their homes meet a ‘reasonable minimum energy efficiency standard’ by 2033 and would require private landlords to meet this minimum energy efficiency standard by 2028. (Delivering Net Zero for Scotland's Buildings, A Consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, The Scottish Government, 28 November 2023, link).