Why is vital Home insulation scheme paused till October? Robert Brown backs call for action

The Scottish Government’s home insulation and energy efficiency scheme was paused to new applications at the end of March and is not set to reopen until October. Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie has challenged the SNP Government on the hold up on the scheme which is designed to help households provide energy efficiency measures such as wall and loft insulation to fuel poor households and improve energy efficiency.

The Scottish Government’s website details the pause, but does not offer an explanation of why it is necessary.

Rutherglen Liberal Democrat Councillor Robert Brown said:

“Many people in Rutherglen and Cambuslang are in fuel poverty and finding it extremely difficult to heart their houses. The energy crisis makes it even more vital that people have a warm home which is efficient and affordable to heat. However, getting your home insulation improved can be complicated and expensive.

Figures published earlier in 2023 showed that Warmer Homes Scotland, the Scottish Government’s fuel poverty scheme, helped only 5,311 households last year. This was fewer than the number of households helped in the year when it was launched.

The Scottish Government estimated last April that there were more than 874,000 households in fuel poverty in Scotland, including almost 600,000 in extreme fuel poverty. This was before subsequent significant rises in domestic energy bills. At this rate it will take them 165 years to insulate every fuel poor household in Scotland.

Stopping the scheme in this way without explanation is inexcusable - at the moment you can’t even apply to the programme.

Insulation and other energy efficiency measures are crucial ways to bring down people’s bills and tackle the climate crisis at the same time. Why on earth are the SNP government so slow to insulate people’s homes?”

Warmer Homes Scotland scheme

Details of the pause to the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme can be found here.

Launched in 2015, the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme was designed to provide energy efficiency measures such as wall and loft insulation to fuel poor households and claims to have supported more than 27,000 homes and families across the country.

The Scottish Government’s own estimates suggest that as of 1 April 2022, 874,000 households are in fuel poverty including 593,000 in extreme fuel poverty.