The Scottish Government published an addendum to the business and regulatory impact assessment (BRIA) for the amended New Build Heat Standard on 8 November 2024. The addendum considers the impacts of permitting bioenergy and peat heating systems, and all secondary heating systems, in new buildings1. The Stove Industry Association (SIA) reported that an amendment to the standard was laid in the Scottish Parliament the same day, setting out a pathway for it to become law on 1 January 20252.
The existing standard, introduced through Standard 6.11 of the Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 and in force from 1 April 2024, prohibited all heating defined as Direct Emissions Heating unless for use as emergency heating1. That included bioenergy, which produces emissions at the point of use1. The Scottish Government said a significant number of concerns were raised after the standard came into effect, particularly by rural and island communities, relating to their reliance on bioenergy including wood burning stoves, and that the emergency provision did not reconcile with stoves often installed for more frequent use1. HETAS reported that this follows a temporary halt to the effective ban in September, after industry, stakeholders, businesses and consumers raised concerns about the standard's ambiguity and its impact on rural communities3.
The addendum states that direct emissions from buildings accounted for almost 20% (7.7 MtCO2e) of Scotland's territorial greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, the latest year for which statistics are available1. On the treatment of biomass, it says:
"While combustion of biomass does physically produce CO2 emissions at the point of use, these emissions are balanced out against CO2 that was absorbed from the atmosphere when the biomass feedstock grew. As a result, for the purposes of reporting on emissions, and in line with international carbon accounting practice, the Scottish Government considers the combustion of biomass to produce net zero CO2 emissions at the point of use."
The same document notes that combustion of biomass may yield small amounts of methane and nitrous oxide which do not cancel out in that way, and that it may be more accurate to categorise bioenergy as "near net zero"1. It also acknowledges that some communities, particularly island areas relying on a mini-grid with limited electrical capacity, may have limited clean heat choices, and that peat has a distinct cultural and historical significance in rural and island communities, with crofters holding a longstanding tradition and legal right to cut peat1.
HETAS reported that the amendment keeps the ban on mains gas and oil boilers in new builds3. The SIA said the amendment will allow bioenergy systems, including wood burning stoves, to be installed in all new homes and buildings and in existing buildings being converted2. HETAS also reported that the amendment references the "complexity of providing different geographical solutions", resulting in a universal reversal of the previous requirements3.
Why it matters for households
For a household in a new build, or converting an existing building, in Scotland, the change means a wood burning stove or other bioenergy system can be installed where the previous standard would have prohibited it. Mains gas and oil boilers remain banned in new builds3, so the practical choice for many off-gas homes shifts towards bioenergy, a heat network or electric heating. The Scottish Government's own assessment places bioenergy at "near net zero" rather than net zero because of methane and nitrous oxide emissions at the point of use1, which is relevant to how a home's heating is counted against Scotland's climate targets. For homes on constrained island mini-grids, the assessment accepts that bioenergy may be the most appropriate option and is likely to replace oil1. HETAS notes that responsible burning means using fuel with a moisture content of 20% or less and a Cleaner Choice appliance, with regular maintenance of the installation3. The SIA describes wood burning at home as offering "the reassurance of energy grid independence and protection against fluctuating gas and electricity process"2.
What happens next
The amendment was laid in the Scottish Parliament on 8 November 2024 and is set to become law on 1 January 20252. The Scottish Government has not reported, in the material published on 8 November, further changes to the treatment of mains gas and oil boilers in new builds.
Sources3 cited
- 3. Policy rationale: background and updated approach - New Build Heat Standard (amended) 2024: business and regulatory impact assessment - gov.scot, gov.scot
- Amendment to NBHS to become law on 1st January 2025 - Stove Industry Association | SIA %, stoveindustryassociation.org
- Scotland abandon ban of log burners in new builds - HETAS, hetas.co.uk