Chamber and committees

The objective of the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme is to support the installation of energy efficiency and clean heating measures amongst owner occupiers.

We use a number of metrics to monitor the scheme with particular focus on the number and value of grants and loans paid against the schemes allocated budget.

Our approach to monitoring our delivery schemes is set out in our recently published Heat in Buildings Monitoring and Evaluation Framework .

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme is open to all domestic owner-occupied households in Scotland.

The rural uplift to the HES Grant and Loan is available to all island households, as well as households with a rural classification of 7 or 8 within the Scottish Government 8-fold Urban Rural Classification. It is also available to households with a rural classification of 6 if their postcode is registered as off-gas on the Xoserve off-gas list.

No economic modelling has been undertaken. As we continue to engage with the sector, if a need for economic modelling emerges then we will consider it. A key ask of the supply chain has been clarity about scope and timing of regulation which is central to their planning for investment in capacity and skills needed for manufacture, installation and maintenance. This is why we set out our draft proposals on regulation on 28 November.

As uptake of clean heating systems increases, the number of people employed in the sector is expected to increase. The rate of increase required will be driven by consumer demand, which in turn will be driven by a range of different factors including any regulations that are introduced. As we continue to develop our regulatory proposals and wider package of support we will undertake further analysis as required to understand needed growth rates.

As referred to in the answer to question S6W-22629, we are planning an awareness raising campaign in the new year for those considering installing a heat pump. Options to maximise the reach and impact of the campaign are still being considered but include PR, digital advertising and press activity.

As we continue to engage with the sector, if a need to collect this information emerges then we will consider it.

Clean heating system maintenance costs will vary depending on factors including the type of system and usage. We are proposing a technology-neutral approach to decarbonising homes across Scotland, with homeowners able to choose the technology which is right for them. We do not expect the cost to households of maintaining a clean heating system to be significantly different from what they would pay for a polluting heating system. The estimated maintenance costs in existing homes in 2020 used by the Climate Change Committee Sixth Carbon Budget, and developed with latest available evidence and input from a range of industry stakeholders, are the same (£100 per year) for both air source heat pumps and gas boilers. Of course many low income households rent their properties through private or social landlords, and while these maintenance costs will be comparable to those living in owner occupied homes, they will typically sit with the landlord.

As set out in our consultation on Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, the Scottish Government wants buildings across Scotland to be using clean heating systems by 2045. Clean heating systems are systems which do not produce greenhouse gas emissions at the point of use within a building, and the range of technologies would include individual heat pumps, communal clean heating systems within a building, connection to a heat network, smart storage heaters or other electric heating systems, and may also include heat from renewable hydrogen in some areas. Our technology-neutral approach deliberately avoids prescribing the use of one particular type of clean heating system, and instead gives building owners the option to choose whichever system best suits their needs.

We are aware that a limited number of properties may not have suitable clean heating options available to them immediately – for example, as a result of building fabric, construction type or location. We are seeking views in our consultation on what flexibility to provide these properties, and also considering the development of an assessment tool which would help owners understand what types of clean heating systems would be the most suitable for their property.

Applications to the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme can be unsuccessful due to the failure of a credit check. Credit checks are only carried out when an applicant is requesting loan funding.

An application may also be declined if the application fails to meet the conditions of the scheme. For example, if the applicant were to apply to use a non-accredited installer or if the measures applied for were not recommended for their property.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23652 on 21 December 2023 regarding targeted marketing at the over 55 age group. I further refer the member to my answer to question S6W-23657 on 21 December 2021 regarding the part of his question regarding specific forms of marketing activities.

The Home Energy Scotland ‘Warmer Homes Scotland’ campaign includes a specific target audience of the over 60s. This campaign includes a digital advertising strand targeted at this age category who live in the 20% most deprived postcodes in Scotland. In addition, press is included to help target those who are not digitally engaged, alongside TV advertising on daytime STV and C4 Scotland.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .