Rennie warns that the Scottish Government’s heat pump installation scheme is hardly helping

Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie has today said that the Scottish Government’s flagship home energy scheme is hardly helping as he revealed that it only paid for the installation of 2,085 heat pumps last year.

Mr Rennie revealed figures obtained from the Scottish Government which showed that its Home Energy Scotland Scheme only installed 2,085 heat pumps in 2023. The scheme was launched in December 2022 and offers grants and loans for heat pumps, other renewable systems and energy efficiency measures.

The Climate Change Committee’s 2023 report on emissions in Scotland warned that domestic heat pump installations were ‘significantly off track’ and would need to increase by at least a factor of thirteen by the end of the decade.

Willie Rennie said:

“Here in Scotland, housing is one of our biggest sources of emissions because it is cold, leaky and relies on fossil fuels.

“If Scotland is to bring down its emissions, we need to find greener ways to heat our homes and ways to make them more energy efficient. Switching to green heating systems can be a win-win, cutting emissions and bringing down bills.

“The net zero secretary boasted that world leaders were lining up to ask for Scotland’s advice on decarbonising, but these figures show the reality at home. The Scottish Government is significantly off track on heat pumps, and its flagship scheme is hardly helping.

“SNP ministers have missed climate targets year after year, but they seem content to plod along.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out ambitious plans to turn things around. We want to give everyone a fair deal, cutting emissions and ending fuel poverty with an emergency programme of home insulation and heat pumps.”