Current status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any diverging costs for rural and urban house builders as a result of low-carbon building standards.
Research supporting review of energy standards within building regulations includes specific assessment of the cost and impact of change on remote or rural areas. This focusses on the comparative cost of delivering new homes off the mains gas grid. An example of research commissioned can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0038/00386526.pdf .
An updated assessment of the impact of further change on remote, rural and island communities will be undertaken as part of the review of energy standards which commences shortly. We will seek views on this topic from developers as part of an initial ‘call for evidence’ on building to the current standards.