The Scottish Government published an easy read version of its consultation on the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on 5 December 20231. The document sets out plans for a new Heat in Buildings Standard covering energy efficiency and clean heat in homes and buildings, and asks readers for their views on each proposal1.
Under the plans, the use of polluting heating would stop in all buildings from 2045, meaning gas and oil boilers would be changed1. Owner-occupied homes would have to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard by the end of 2033, and landlords would have to meet one by the end of 20281. The ban on polluting heating would apply only to a property's main heating system1. The consultation states that the standard is not planned to apply to housing rented from a council or housing association, and no minimum energy efficiency standard is planned for businesses1.
The energy efficiency part of the standard could be met by installing loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, draught-proofing, heating controls, 80 mm hot water cylinder insulation and suspended floor insulation1. Owner-occupied homes that have stopped using polluting heating by 2033 would not have to meet the minimum energy efficiency standard, while private rented properties would have to meet it even if a clean heating system had been installed1. Extra time to meet the clean heat requirement is planned for homes and businesses with no clean heating systems available, buildings where costs are shared such as flats and tenements, harder to change buildings such as historic ones, and buildings using bioenergy where clean heating is not possible1.
The consultation also covers property purchases, proposing that buyers must stop using polluting heating within a grace period, with the government suggesting between 2 and 5 years1. It asks which of three cost cap models should apply: a flat cap, a size-based cap, or a purchase price-based cap1. Public buildings owned by a Scottish public authority would be required to use clean heating by 2038 under powers in the Bill1.
"An easy read version of our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill - Changing how we heat our homes and buildings."
| Proposal | Date |
|---|---|
| Stop polluting heating in all buildings | 2045 |
| Minimum energy efficiency standard, owner-occupied homes | End of 2033 |
| Minimum energy efficiency standard, private rented homes | End of 2028 |
| Clean heating in public buildings | 2038 |
Why it matters for households
The proposals would set a fixed date by which the main heating system in a Scottish home could no longer run on gas or oil, and separate dates by which owner-occupiers and private tenants would need to reach a minimum energy efficiency level. For a household, the practical effect depends on how the home is heated now and how much work it needs. The consultation notes that making changes will be expensive and that this will be a worry for some people, which is why it asks about a cost cap limiting what must be spent1. Homes that move off polluting heating by 2033 would be exempt from the energy efficiency standard, so the two requirements interact. The measures listed as ways to meet the standard are fabric and control measures rather than heating system replacements. How Scottish homes are heated at present, and the devolved powers behind this Bill, are set out in the site's guides to home heating in Scotland and energy and buildings policy in Scotland.
What happens next
The consultation is open and asks for views on the 2045 polluting heating end date, the 2028 and 2033 energy efficiency dates, the list of eligible measures, the property purchase grace period, the cost cap design and the use of bioenergy1. Responses can be sent to HiBConsultation@gov.scot1. No date for the Bill's introduction has been reported.