The targets contained in the Heat in Buildings Bill are too ambitious and impossible to meet, according to David Alexander, the CEO of Scottish property firm DJ Alexander.
The Scottish government has estimated £33bn is needed to decarbonise its homes and buildings.
Alexander said: “The Heat in Buildings bill has already outlined deadlines which are for all homes and businesses to move to a clean heating system by the end of 2045. People buying new homes and buildings before 2045 will be asked to move to a clean heating system within a set period after the sale.
“For homeowners and landlords, the targets remain too ambitious and impossible to meet given the funding and infrastructure currently available.”
“The targets are for minimum energy efficiency standards for all homes by the end of 2033, to make them warmer and less expensive to heat while private landlords would need to do this by the end of 2028. This strategy has a commitment of £1.8 billion to 2026 to support delivery of this strategy.”
“We can see that there is little connection between the aims and the reality. A commitment of £1.8bn over the next two years to meet a potential bill of £130bn by 2045 highlights just how unachievable any of these targets are.”
It’s also estimated that 28,000 people need to be trained to get the work done.
The Scottish government has estimated £33bn is needed to decarbonise its homes and buildings.
Given that there are 2.6 million homes and 230 thousand non-domestic buildings, that amounts to £11,500 per building.
Alexander added: “That might just about cover the installation cost of a heat pump in an easy-to-treat property.
“To meet the tougher end of the net zero objectives, we’ll need likely four times that investment, so circa £45k/building to do it once and do it properly.
“Which is more like £130bn, not £33bn. So, we need to get really serious about the costs of achieving Net Zero, who’s going to pay, and how.”
