Affordability and low awareness of government schemes are key barriers to Scotland achieving its goals to improve the energy efficiency of homes and reach net zero, according to a survey from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
Jocelyne Fleming, policy and public affairs officer for CIOB in Scotland, said:
We must improve the energy efficiency of Scotland’s drafty homes at a greater pace and scale than we’ve seen to date to reach our climate change objectives, reduce fuel poverty and ensure everyone in Scotland has a warm, safe, home that is affordable to heat.
Funding schemes which are short-lived and not well promoted simply aren’t achieving results when it comes to making Scotland’s homes more energy efficient and in turn lowering bills. We need government to develop a clear strategy on retrofit which addresses how it can be delivered on the scale and at the pace needed. This delivery plan needs to consider the resources necessary to get there, such as the recruitment and retention of a skilled workforce. As we’ve seen from the data, the success of government energy efficiency programming is integral to spurring on widescale retrofit. As such, Government must ensure that these programmes are well-promoted and accessible to residents.
