Harvie warned over 'forcing significant financial burdens' s first phase of boiler ban plans rolled out

New homes in Scotland are now banned from having fossil fuel gas boilers installed.

Scottish Green Party leader and zero carbon buildings minister Patrick Harvie

Patrick Harvie has been warned over “forcing significant financial burdens on homeowners” as the first phase of his strategy to replace gas boilers with heat pumps comes into force today.

The Green co-leader, who is the Scottish Government’s zero carbon buildings minister, is planning to phase out all direct emissions heating systems, such as gas boilers, by 2045. But all new buildings constructed with a new building warrant must be fitted with green heating systems from today.

Mr Harvie has admitted that at least £33 billion will be needed to clean up how Scotland’s buildings are heated, but only £1.8 billion has been pledged from the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government has insisted that the bulk of the funding for the heat transition will come from the private sector.

Under Mr Harvie’s draft plans for the rest of Scotland’s buildings, modernised energy efficiency standards will need to be met from 2028. Privately rented homes will be required to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard no later than 2028, while owner- occupied homes will need to meet those same standards by the end of 2033. All homes and non-domestic buildings will be required to end their use of polluting heating by the end of 2045.

Scottish Conservative shadow secretary for net zero, energy, and transport, Douglas Lumsden, said: “It is vital that Scotland achieves net zero, but the right way to achieve is not forcing significant financial burdens on homeowners.

“Patrick Harvie and his careless policies are out of touch with the public’s priorities. The Greens insist on ploughing ahead with rash ideas without considering the impact on individuals and their lives.

“That is why last month the Scottish Conservatives launched our proposal to create a new grant that would give Scottish households the support they need to make the switch from fossil-fuel heating systems to low carbon options.”

The regulations that have gone live today will mean that direct emissions heating systems - like gas boilers - will no longer be installed in new homes and non-domestic buildings.

Mr Harvie said: “This is an important step on our journey to moving all buildings in Scotland to clean heat by 2045. Heating our homes and buildings represents about a fifth of Scotland’s carbon emissions so there is no route to deliver net zero without making this change.

“Some housebuilders and social landlords are already ahead of the game and installing clean heat as standard. So this makes sure that we’re building the right homes and buildings of tomorrow – reducing the need for retrofit in the future – and that people can live in homes that are warmer and cleaner to heat.

“The Climate Change Committee recognised the significance of the new build heat standard in its recent report on progress on reducing emissions in Scotland. We know we have to increase the pace and scale of the transition, and our proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill would mean that Scotland has the most ambitious clean heat programme in the UK.”