Scottish Government Halts Plans for Green Home Heating Transition

Scotland aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2045, with £1.6 billion allocated for heat decarbonisation.

A person using a central heating thermostat in the United Kingdom in a file photo. Steve Parsons/PA Wire

The Scottish Government has scrapped key plans to make homeowners switch to greener heating systems soon after buying a new property, citing concerns over affordability and feasibility.

The Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin confirmed in Holyrood on Tuesday that the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill, originally drafted by the Scottish Greens, will not move forward in its current form.

Martin told MSPs that the bill, which would require homeowners to replace gas boilers with zero-emission heating systems, would “make people poorer.”

“I will introduce a heat in buildings bill when I can be satisfied that the interventions in it will decrease fuel poverty at the same time as they decarbonise houses,” she said.

The legislation focuses on two key areas: transitioning to zero-emission heating systems and improving energy efficiency in buildings. It sets a deadline of 2045 for replacing gas boilers with low-carbon alternatives, with new homeowners required to switch to a clean heating system within a set period after purchasing a property.

It also introduces minimum energy efficiency standards for all homes, requiring homeowners to implement measures such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, draught-proofing, heating controls, and floor insulation by 2033. For privately rented properties, landlords would need to meet these requirements by 2028.

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie, who was responsible for drafting the bill, criticised the decision, saying it “flies in the face of the climate ambitions that this government is supposed to have.”

“The Bill is essential if Scotland is going to cut carbon emissions and cut people’s energy bills. Already, switching to a heat pump can save up to half a household’s heating bills, but people need support to make the switch and the clean heat industry needs clarity from Government,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Delay in Introduction

The Greens’ call for clarity comes after a public consultation on the bill concluded in March last year. Since then, the government was refining the proposals to present them to MSPs for approval.

Harvie argued that since the government consulted, there had been “unexplained” delay to getting the bill introduced.

“Now the SNP have basically said to everyone interested in this issue – ‘don’t expect much and don’t expect it soon.’

“Scotland has already lost heat pump manufacturing jobs, a sector which should be growing not shrinking. That is only likely to get worse with this lack of leadership from the Scottish Government.

“This is yet another example of the SNP’s climate delays, which have grown more and more worrying over the last year. It will also delay the huge benefit households need to see from ending their reliance on fossil fuels and their volatile prices,” said Harvie.

The Heat in Buildings Bill is part of a broader effort to decarbonise Scotland’s building stock, aligning with other initiatives such as the New Build Heat Standard, which mandates that all new buildings from April 2024 install clean heating systems. ​

According to Martin, the original draft of the bill did not take financial pressures on homeowners “significantly into consideration” and contained “so many moving parts” that needed to be addressed.

Cost and Adoption Hurdles

The decision to pause the bill reflects a growing tension between Scotland’s ambitious climate policies and the economic realities of implementing them.

Scotland has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045, allocating £1.6 billion for heat decarbonisation over the course of this Parliament and phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.

The now-abandoned proposals would have required homebuyers to install green heating systems, such as heat pumps, which can cost between £7,000 and £13,000.

Scotland’s Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme offers grants of up to £7,500 to help eligible homeowners switch to heat pumps, with an additional £7,500 of funding available as an optional interest free loan. A further £1,500 is available to rural households.

Data by Swedish clean energy tech company Aira, which has a hub in Stirling, found that the lengthy and complex grant application process is significantly holding back uptake.

“Since May 2024, only 35 percent of Aira customers have had applications approved and on average, people are taking three months to navigate the complex process.

“The scheme currently awards just 14 grants per day, according to the Scottish government’s response to the Freedom of Information request made by Aira in August 2024, raising concerns about how realistic the Scottish Government’s target of 200,000 heat pumps annually by 2030 (1) — equivalent to over 750 installations per day – truly is,” the company said last month.

Despite financial concerns, many environmental advocates argue that delaying the transition to clean heating is not an option.

Lewis Ryder-Jones of Oxfam Scotland said that the decision to put the heat in buildings bill on ice is a “huge mistake.”

“Fair taxes can spread out the costs for everyone, offering comprehensive support and free upgrades for people on low incomes, helping us all move toward a cleaner, healthier Scotland.

“Changing the way we heat our homes is non-negotiable: it’s a future we can’t afford to delay. Putting this Bill into cold storage only makes it harder to ensure the transition is fair for everyone in Scotland,” he added.