Holyrood’s constantly shifting energy directives disregard common sense

Sir, – It is with some dismay I read that the Scottish Government’s latest good idea to reduce carbon emissions is the cull on woodburning stoves in any new housing developments or refurbishment.

While I would always strongly support almost any measure that would meet the Scottish Government’s targets and ensure a healthier and more sustainable environment for all, my heart often sinks at some of the notions emanating from Holyrood (and Westminster). Why is that?

Having worked in social housing for over 30 years, I have been at the sharp end of most of the Scottish Government’s “good ideas”. I cast my mind back 10 years or so ago, when the Scottish Government introduced the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Not a bad idea in itself, as it defined a minimum standard of housing for all social landlords to comply with by 2015. Part of the regulations required an energy efficiency standard which varied depending on which fuel sources different houses had.

As you would expect with a sector genuinely committed to providing good-quality housing for its tenants and being heavily regulated, considerable investment poured into housing stock to achieve these standards.

Following on from the 2015 targets, with one eye on its carbon emission targets, Holyrood then introduced an Energy Efficiency Standard for social housing, to be achieved by 2020. Alas, some of these specific targets contradicted several of the standards previously set for 2015, which meant that some landlords had basically wasted time, money and effort and disrupted tenants’ lives in the process.

Furthermore, in striving to deliver warmer homes, the sector was under a certain amount of pressure to remove inefficient and expensive electric storage heating, not only for the benefit of tenants, but also to reduce carbon emissions. Many of the subsequent recommended improvements focused on installing gas central heating – a measure to improve the heating and energy efficiency of the home, as well as reducing carbon emissions. In off-gas and rural areas, some recommendations included the installation of woodburning stoves.

Again, as you would expect, many social landlords planned, funded and implemented improvements to their housing stock, based on these recommendations.

So, basically, gas boilers and woodburning stoves were good for the tenant and environment 10 years ago, with considerable private and public money spent on improving house heating, based on these assumptions.

Fast-forward six or seven years. Gas has now been outlawed. No more gas boilers in new homes from 2025. Everything is now focused on heat pumps. Now, woodburning stoves are being outlawed too.

I am insufficiently qualified to contradict the science of global warming. However, I do believe that humans have been burning wood ever since Mr and Mrs Caveman rubbed two sticks together and I cannot understand how this simple form of heating is now under the microscope of the global-warming experts. What is even more frustrating is the Scottish Government’s apparent complete ignorance of how several regulated changes (many are U-turns) affect the housing sector, a variety of industries, public and private finance, society as a whole and, more importantly, completely baffle and disrupt our tenants. Furthermore, it makes us look completely incompetent and stupid, as the goalposts keep changing.

Apparently, the Scottish Government is due to release details of a second phase of an energy standard. Heaven knows what that will look like.

I’m glad I’ve retired!

Ron Mcarthur. Newbigging.