Consumer Scotland published the findings of its investigation into the energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies sector on 10 June 2025, setting out nine recommendations for government, regulators and industry. The investigation was launched in July 2024 to examine how effectively the sector supports and protects consumers, against the backdrop of Scotland's legal commitment to net-zero emissions by 20451.
The report groups its recommendations around three stages of the consumer journey: engaging households in the transition, strengthening standards and enforcement, and simplifying redress. On engagement, it calls for targeted awareness campaigns and says planned reforms to energy performance certificates are a chance to shift from passive ratings to practical information. On standards, it describes a fragmented landscape of multiple schemes and logos and recommends consideration of a single standards body, alongside stronger enforcement against scams, misleading marketing and rogue trading. On redress, it recommends simplifying routes to a single accessible process and a trusted alternative dispute resolution body1.
"The sector is largely self-regulated through standards bodies, certification rules and consumer codes - all of which individually play vital roles in protecting consumers and public funds. However, collectively they present a fragmented landscape, marked by multiple schemes and logos, creating confusion and undermining overall confidence."
The report sets out the scale of the task. Buildings account for around 20% of total emissions, and the Climate Change Committee estimates CO2 emissions from residential buildings must fall by 66% between 2023 and 20401. The Scottish Government previously estimated the total cost of converting all of Scotland's building stock to zero emissions by 2045 at around £33 billion, with the average total cost to convert a home to a heat pump around £14,0001.
On deployment, the report says around 8,000 domestic heat pumps were installed in Scotland in 2024, against a Climate Change Committee pathway requiring nearly 35,000 a year in 2030 and more than 120,000 by 2035. It says over half of all homes in Scotland do not have a good standard of energy efficiency measured by the fabric of the building, and that around 30,000 homes are connected to heat networks, against statutory targets equivalent to 120,000 homes in 2027 and 400,000 by 20301.
| Measure | Current position | Target or pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic heat pump installations | around 8,000 in 2024 | nearly 35,000 a year in 2030; over 120,000 by 2035 |
| Homes on heat networks | around 30,000 | 120,000 in 2027; 400,000 by 2030 |
| Homes with good fabric efficiency | under half | not stated |
The investigation did not review the social rented sector or the non-domestic sector, and did not evaluate the merits of specific public grants and support schemes1.
Why it matters for households
The report describes a market that households must enter to replace fossil-fuel heating, often at significant cost and with real risk of disruption, and finds consumer confidence lagging. For a home's energy independence, the practical points are the ones the report identifies as barriers: unclear options, high upfront costs, and uncertainty about who is accountable when work goes wrong. Its recommendations on EPC reform and on a single standards body and unified redress go to the information and protection a household relies on before and after work is done. The report also notes that the range of government support may be confusing and should be mapped for coverage and suitability, particularly for those in fuel poverty1. Consumer Scotland is one of the energy consumer bodies covering the UK nations.
What happens next
The Scottish Government outlined revised plans for a Heat in Buildings Bill in April 2025, and the Bill is expected to be introduced later this year, having first been consulted on in November 20231. From April 2025 heat network consumers in Scotland have access to additional support, with greater protections coming in 2026, and from January 2026 Ofgem becomes the regulator for heat networks across Great Britain1. The Scottish Government consulted on proposals to reform EPCs in 2023 and published its response in January 20251. No date has been reported for a government response to the nine recommendations.