Question reference: S6W-05847
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 21 January 2022
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Current status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 2 February 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it provides support for lower-cost alternatives than the installation of air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps to people who wish to improve the carbon footprint of their off-gas-grid homes.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s national fuel poverty scheme Warmer Homes Scotland offers eligible households High Heat Retention Storage Heating systems where these are technically appropriate for the property. Households may also be offered micro-generation measures, such as Micro-hydro, Micro-wind or Solar PV and/or domestic battery storage systems where these are technically feasible. Local councils can also provide high heat retention storage heaters and microgeneration measures as part of their Area Based Schemes.
Households that are not eligible for help as part of our fuel poverty programmes can apply for a Scottish Government loan via Home Energy Scotland. Help is available with the costs of purchasing and installing an electric heating system (warm air units or high heat retention electric storage heaters). Loans of up to £5,000 are available (£4,600 loan plus £400 cashback). Households can also apply for up to two home renewables systems per home as part of an overall loan package worth up to £17,500.
In addition we offer funding for energy efficiency measures up to £15,000 (including a maximum cashback amount of £6,000). More information about the cashback and loans available from the Scottish Government is published on the Home Energy Scotland website.