How you’ll have to fork out for new £12k green boilers

‘Homeowners pay for their policies’

HOMEOWNERS face having to stump up thousands of pounds on green measures because of a lack of support from the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Conservatives yesterday raised concerns about the level of funding available to help families switch to energyefficient boilers and heating systems.

The SNP’s programme for government pledged at least £1.8billion over five years to support people to make their homes greener to heat, as part of a wider target to ‘decarbonise one million homes by 2030’.

But Scottish Tory energy spokesman Liam Kerr said it worked out at just £1,800 per home – while the Government has admitted the average cost of converting from a traditional fossil fuel boiler to a zero emissions system is about £12,000.

Mr Kerr said: ‘The SNP-Green strategy for net zero is making Scottish homeowners pay for their policies. It is irresponsible to expect people to take out loans and carry a burden of debt when we are coming out of a pandemic where people have lost their jobs and their businesses.’

In a written answer, Patrick Harvie, Green minister for zero carbon buildings, said the average cost of converting a home from a fossil fuel boiler to a zero emissions system is ‘just over £12,000’, with interest-free loans through Home Energy Scotland.

The SNP programme for government also says all home and building upgrades will need to achieve at least a C standard on energy performance certificates from 2025.

Responding to Mr Kerr in a parliamentary debate yesterday, Energy Secretary Michael Matheson said: ‘Does he realise one of the most effective ways to decarbonise the use of domestic heating is using hydrogen within the natural gas network?

‘Given that his party at Westminster control the decision around when that will be possible, can he advise when the UK Government will give consent to decarbonising the natural gas network and turning it into a hydrogen-based system, which could then be deployed in domestic premises?’

A THIRD of Scots believe oil and gas should continue to be extracted from the North Sea despite environmental concerns. Only 25 per cent of respondents to a survey said they would oppose the move, while 39 per cent didn’t know or had no opinion.

But 40 per cent supported banning new licences for oil fields, such as the controversial Cambo development near Shetland.