The Scottish Government published a Heat in Buildings Strategy quality assurance policy statement in May 2022, setting out how it intends to oversee standards for energy efficiency and microgeneration work in Scotland1. Among the milestones listed is a Scottish Retrofit Standards Working Group, to be set up in summer 2022 to oversee PAS 2035/30 standards in Scotland1.
The statement says the Scottish installer skills matrix will be integrated into both the BSI PAS 2030 installer standards and the MCS installer standards in 20221. It also commits to working with the British Standards Institution to establish an expert technical group to advise on retrofit standards in Scotland and develop best practice reflecting Scottish housing stock, weather and other environmental factors1. The PAS 2035 and PAS 2030 standards cover 41 different energy efficiency measures, according to the statement1.
"Scottish Retrofit Standards Working Group set up to oversee PAS 2035/30 standards in Scotland. Summer 2022"
The statement sets out a series of dated milestones1:
| Action | Timescale |
|---|---|
| Scottish installer skills matrix integrated into PAS 2030 and MCS standards | Spring 2022 |
| Scottish Retrofit Standards Working Group set up | Summer 2022 |
| TrustMark scheme for Scotland set up and ready for suppliers to join | Summer 2022 |
| Supply Chain Delivery Plan published | Late summer 2022 |
| Scottish Quality Assurance Consumer Oversight Group set up | Autumn 2022 |
| New online consumer portal to find approved suppliers in Scotland | Autumn 2022 |
| Relaunch of Home Energy Scotland loans and cashback scheme with requirement to use TrustMark/MCS approved suppliers | Autumn 2022 |
For the successor to the Home Energy Scotland loans and cashback scheme, the statement introduces a requirement that applicants must use approved suppliers through Scotland's TrustMark scheme for energy efficiency work, while microgeneration work will retain the current requirement for MCS approved suppliers1. The statement says the existing scheme offers up to £100k to support carbon-saving measures such as renewable heating and insulation, with up to £20k cashback available in some instances1. It notes that currently a householder can apply to use an unaccredited installer in exceptional circumstances where no local installer meeting the scheme's requirements can be found1.
The statement also describes a virtual National Public Energy Agency to be put in place by September 2022 as a stepping stone towards a dedicated body, which will coordinate and scale up delivery of the heat decarbonisation agenda from 2025 onwards1. It says the Scottish Government is procuring a new enhanced successor to the Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme, due to go live when the current contract expires, and that the new scheme will deliver a quality assured retrofit process adopting PAS 2030/2035 standards1.
Why it matters for households
The standards named in the statement govern how retrofit work is assessed, designed and installed, and who is qualified to carry it out. For a household, the practical effect of the TrustMark and MCS requirements is that work funded through the successor Home Energy Scotland scheme would need to be done by an approved supplier, with the statement describing warranties and guarantees backed up by independent inspections and a single point of contact for complaints1. The statement says there are no regulatory requirements to comply with the proposed TrustMark scheme for Scotland or the existing MCS scheme, so the requirements described apply to the Scottish Government's own schemes rather than to all work carried out in homes1. It also states that meeting the required standards may incur additional expense depending on the project, and that a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment would be published alongside the statement1. The statement does not set out the membership of the Scottish Retrofit Standards Working Group, its remit in detail, or how its work will interact with the existing Scottish building standards and building warrant system; those points have not been reported1.
What happens next
The statement lists the working group's establishment for summer 2022, the TrustMark scheme for Scotland being ready for suppliers to join in summer 2022, the Supply Chain Delivery Plan in late summer 2022, and the consumer oversight group, online supplier portal and relaunched Home Energy Scotland loans and cashback scheme in autumn 20221. The virtual National Public Energy Agency is due by September 20221.