Lib Dems outline plans for greener gas switch

A million homes in Scotland need to switch from gas heating to more eco-friendly alternatives by the end of the decade, Liberal Democrats have insisted.

Leader Willie Rennie insisted that kind of “ambitious” effort was needed to help Scotland meet its climate change targets.

He pledged his party would make the change as he launched the Lib Dems’ zero carbon homes strategy.

He also vowed Lib Dems would double cash going to tackle fuel poverty, saying “at best” the SNP’s plans mean one in 20 homes could still be affected by this by 2040.

As well as committing to switching one million homes away from gas to zero or low emission sources of heating by 2030, Mr Rennie promised there would be incentives for all properties to improve their energy efficiency.

A five-year programme will work to improve 80,000 homes a year, with the Liberal Democrats announcing they would double the existing £94 million fuel poverty budget by the end of the next Holyrood term.

Mr Rennie said: “This is a big number but if we haven’t moved half the homes in Scotland to climatefriendly heating by 2030, we will not meet our climate change targets.”

“I am concerned that, under the SNP’s bestcase scenario plans, there will still be one in 20 households in fuel poverty in 2040.

“Work on this will create jobs, cut bills and tackle the climate emergency.”