MCS welcomes the ambition in Scotland’s Heat in Buildings Strategy

8 October 2021

The Scottish government has this week published its Heat in Buildings Strategy. The Strategy recognises the importance of MCS standards to ‘ensure that installations are both good quality and fit for purpose’. It also identifies the importance of installer skills. MCS will adopt and recognise Scotland’s ‘installer skills matrix’ to ensure that the competency of MCS installers meets the needs of the Scottish market.

At its heart, the Strategy has identified the significant contribution that Heat Pumps as a ‘tried and tested measure’ will make to Scotland’s fight against climate change, on the road to net zero by 2045. An investment of at least £1.8bn is to be made over the course of this parliament to decarbonise the heating in 1million Scottish homes by 2030, equating to 40% of occupied dwellings in Scotland. Scotland now intends to legislate to phase out the installation of new or replacement fossil fuel boilers in off gas properties from 2025, and in on-gas areas from 2030. Scotland is also developing regulations that will require all new buildings, for which a building warrant is applied for from 2024, to use zero emissions heating.

Ian Rippin, Chief Executive, MCS said, “We welcome this Strategy and the emphasis on standards, quality and skills. However, this Scottish ambition now needs to be matched by the UK Government, whose own publication of a Heat & Buildings Strategy has been much delayed.

“We need to vastly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. How we heat our homes accounts for nearly 30% of CO₂ emissions, so low-carbon, domestic renewables need full government support if we are to reduce this figure. Heat Pumps as a key solution for making the heating of our homes greener and the technologies are available for deployment now.”

Scotland demands that the UK Government ‘take urgent action to rebalance energy prices so that the running costs of zero emission systems are comparable to fossil fuel incumbents’ and as result support lower running costs for Heat Pump consumers.

MCS will shortly publish an Installer Guide to Scotland’s Heat in Buildings Strategy.

You can view the Scottish Heat in Buildings Strategy here