- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) further information on the demographics of the 1,900 funding offers through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme since its launch in August 2023 and (b) a breakdown by (i) the age of applicants, (ii) the median household income of applicants and (iii) local authority area.
Answer
The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme was launched in December 2022. The figures provided show the number of heat pump funding offers issued between this launch date and the end of August 2023.
The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme is available to all domestic owner occupied households in Scotland, therefore data on household income and age of applicants are not collected during the application process. In the following table, the data requested has therefore been supplied for local authority area only.
Local Authority Area | Heat Pump Funding Offers |
Aberdeen City | 32 |
Aberdeenshire | 144 |
Angus | 62 |
Argyll and Bute | 218 |
City of Edinburgh | 132 |
Clackmannanshire | 8 |
Dumfries and Galloway | 71 |
Dundee City | 21 |
East Ayrshire | 25 |
East Dunbartonshire | 33 |
East Lothian | 45 |
East Renfrewshire | 25 |
Falkirk | 21 |
Fife | 104 |
Glasgow City | 36 |
Highland | 237 |
Inverclyde | 7 |
Midlothian | 31 |
Moray | 68 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | 37 |
North Ayrshire | 28 |
North Lanarkshire | 38 |
Orkney Islands | 48 |
Perth and Kinross | 93 |
Renfrewshire | 26 |
Scottish Borders | 80 |
Shetland Islands | 34 |
South Ayrshire | 40 |
South Lanarkshire | 75 |
Stirling | 45 |
West Dunbartonshire | 7 |
West Lothian | 52 |
TOTAL | 1923 |
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications in total for loans or grants for energy efficiency measures or clean heating systems were approved in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answer
The following table sets out the number of applications approved for energy efficiency measures and clean heating systems for the financial year 2022-23. The figures include data from the Home Energy Scotland Loan and Cashback Scheme, which operated until December 2022, and the Grant and Loan scheme which began in December 2022.
A ‘clean heating system’ refers to a ‘zero direct emissions heating system’.
Hybrid heat pumps and hybrid heat pump systems are not included in the number of clean heating systems, as these usually include a heating source which directly produces carbon emissions, although the Scottish Government only provides funding for the zero emissions element.
Element | Grant | Loan | Total |
Energy Efficiency | 862 | 859 | 1,031 |
Clean Heating Systems (ZDEH) | 1,798 | 1,717 | 1,813 |
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21208 by
Patrick Harvie on 26 September 2023, what the (a) smallest, (b) median and (c)
largest (i) grant and (ii) loan issued under the Home Energy Scotland Grant and
Loan scheme was in the period from September 2022 to date, broken down by (A)
local authority area, (B) household income and (C) council tax band.
Answer
The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme is available to all domestic owner occupied households in Scotland, therefore data on household income and council tax band are not collected during the application process. In the following table, the data requested has therefore been supplied for local authority area only.
Funding issued through the scheme often comprises a combination of loan and grant funding.
| Grants Issued (£) | Loans Issued (£) |
Local Authority Area | Smallest | Median | Largest | Smallest | Median | Largest |
Aberdeen City | 400 | 4,200 | 12,525 | 600 | 6,118 | 17,754 |
Aberdeenshire | 100 | 6,688 | 13,889 | 70 | 9,257 | 18,000 |
Angus | 400 | 7,500 | 19,000 | 499 | 7,759 | 18,541 |
Argyll and Bute | 40 | 4,697 | 12,000 | 90 | 2,500 | 19,080 |
City of Edinburgh | 234 | 4,000 | 11,500 | 319 | 8,000 | 23,861 |
Clackmannanshire | 307 | 4,200 | 10,000 | 375 | 9,250 | 16,000 |
Dumfries and Galloway | 300 | 7,500 | 23,000 | 440 | 6,204 | 20,537 |
Dundee City | 400 | 6,000 | 10,000 | 520 | 7,682 | 16,300 |
East Ayrshire | 400 | 4,600 | 11,500 | 500 | 8,845 | 14,780 |
East Dunbartonshire | 269 | 3,000 | 11,362 | 180 | 5,820 | 17,000 |
East Lothian | 400 | 5,276 | 17,500 | 500 | 9,075 | 18,696 |
East Renfrewshire | 270 | 4,200 | 14,748 | 505 | 6,338 | 18,693 |
Falkirk | 378 | 4,200 | 9,000 | 390 | 10,000 | 15,293 |
Fife | 173 | 4,200 | 11,500 | 248 | 9,590 | 21,186 |
Glasgow City | 136 | 1,477 | 16,500 | 360 | 4,005 | 20,181 |
Highland | 300 | 7,500 | 17,832 | 367 | 5,796 | 26,358 |
Inverclyde | 400 | 3,900 | 7,701 | 375 | 6,490 | 12,150 |
Midlothian | 400 | 5,500 | 10,847 | 281 | 10,000 | 17,000 |
Moray | 400 | 7,500 | 20,600 | 1,250 | 7,499 | 22,000 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | 345 | 7,500 | 9,000 | 895 | 2,500 | 13,798 |
North Ayrshire | 750 | 4,200 | 11,500 | 1,406 | 6,000 | 15,847 |
North Lanarkshire | 190 | 4,200 | 14,025 | 500 | 9,800 | 17,000 |
Orkney Islands | 400 | 7,500 | 11,097 | 1,250 | 2,560 | 12,000 |
Perth and Kinross | 91 | 6,524 | 11,958 | 547 | 8,500 | 20,100 |
Renfrewshire | 257 | 3,977 | 13,000 | 308 | 7,050 | 17,000 |
Scottish Borders | 370 | 7,500 | 12,080 | 644 | 7,350 | 24,870 |
Shetland Islands | 2,233 | 6,788 | 16,500 | 1,250 | 2,500 | 13,206 |
South Ayrshire | 400 | 7,100 | 10,388 | 361 | 7,012 | 17,000 |
South Lanarkshire | 269 | 4,200 | 11,790 | 308 | 7,500 | 17,345 |
Stirling | 400 | 6,600 | 20,000 | 254 | 7,500 | 17,000 |
West Dunbartonshire | 400 | 4,000 | 8,280 | 500 | 7,500 | 14,099 |
West Lothian | 139 | 6,900 | 17,500 | 103 | 9,973 | 19,500 |
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of ensuring that homes are insulated to standard prior to completing any installation of renewable heating systems.
Answer
We will shortly consult on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. This will include proposals to set a minimum energy efficiency standard for homes in Scotland - ensuring they are better insulated and driving down emissions to meet our targets.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what key performance indicators it uses to measure the success of the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme, in terms of the improvements to energy efficiency delivered by funded works.
Answer
The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme offers homeowners in Scotland a grant, interest free loan or a combination of both to support the installation of energy efficiency measures and zero direct emission heating.
Energy efficiency measures funded through the scheme must be recommended on the property’s EPC, ensuring that funding is being utilised for measures which are suitable for a property and will result in a reduction in carbon emissions.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that sufficient numbers of qualified insulation contractors are available to meet demand.
Answer
Our Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan sets out practical steps that we will take to support the growth of the green heat sector. We continue to work in partnership with the sector to ensure that the appropriate support and training provision are aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands. The Scottish Government has funded Energy Saving Trust to develop an Insulation Toolkit to explain the importance of insulation and the likely future demand. It also gives guidance to help installers achieve PAS 2030 certification and become TrustMark registered. This will be launched shortly and will be promoted to stakeholders by Energy Saving Trust.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21208 by Patrick Harvie on 26 September 2023, how many households have received the rural uplift within the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme in each month since September 2022.
Answer
The following table sets out the total number of applications approved and paid for the rural uplift in each month from September 2022 to October 2023.
The rural uplift has only been included as part of the HES Grant and Loan Scheme since the launch of the Scheme in December 2022, meaning data only goes back to this date. Four applications from November 2022 received the rural uplift as these had not yet progressed to a formal offer when the rural uplift was introduced.
Payments are often made in the months following an approved application, which means that the number of applications approved in a month will not be equal to the number of applications paid in a month.
Month | Rural Uplift Applications Approved | Rural Uplift Applications Paid |
Sep-22 | - | - |
Oct-22 | - | - |
Nov-22 | 4 | - |
Dec-22 | 35 | - |
Jan-23 | 146 | - |
Feb-23 | 100 | 15 |
Mar-23 | 144 | 22 |
Apr-23 | 237 | 52 |
May-23 | 238 | 81 |
Jun-23 | 222 | 113 |
Jul-23 | 208 | 136 |
Aug-23 | 166 | 182 |
Sep-23 | 177 | 253 |
Oct-23 | 105 | 218 |
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of future demand for servicing of renewable heating solutions on market rates for (a) labour and (b) parts.
Answer
Our Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan sets out practical steps that we will take to support the growth of the green heat sector We continue to work in partnership with the sector to ensure that the appropriate support and training provision are aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to creating a funding scheme to assist with ongoing maintenance costs of renewable heating solutions installed under the current government capital support schemes for (a) housing associations, (b) private homeowners and (c) landlords.
Answer
The purpose of the current capital support schemes is to offer applicants funding to support the installation of energy efficiency measures and zero emissions heating.
We recognise that our supply chains will have to grow substantially to meet the future demand for both installation and maintenance. Our Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan sets out practical steps that we will take to support the growth of the green heat sector. We continue to work in partnership with the sector to ensure that the appropriate support and training provision are aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many students are currently pursuing energy efficiency qualifications.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold or have access to information on the number of students currently pursuing specific energy efficiency qualifications. As energy efficiency would typically form part of a wider course syllabus for a diverse range of qualifications including engineering, technology, science and construction, the Scottish Government is unable to identify which courses include an energy efficiency component and therefore does not have the information required to answer the question accurately.