Heat in Buildings Bill in cloud cuckoo land, says DJ Alexander

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David Alexander, CEO of Scottish property company DJ Alexander, said the targets contained in the Heat in Buildings Bill were too ambitious and unachievable.

The Scottish Government estimates that £33 billion is needed to decarbonise homes and buildings.

Mr Alexander said: “The Buildings Heating Bill already sets a deadline for all homes and businesses to move to clean heating systems by the end of 2045. Anyone buying a new home or building before 2045 will be asked to move to a clean heating system within a certain period of time after the sale.”

“For homeowners and landlords, the targets remain far too ambitious and unachievable given the funding and infrastructure currently available.”

“The aim is for all homes to have minimum energy efficiency standards by the end of 2033, making homes warmer and cheaper to heat, while private landlords have until the end of 2028 to do so. The strategy will commit £1.8bn up to 2026 to help deliver this.”

“We see little connection between the targets and the reality. The pledge to spend £1.8 billion over the next two years to cover costs that could reach £130 billion by 2045 highlights how unattainable any of these targets are.”

It is also estimated that 28,000 people will need to be trained to complete the work.

The Scottish Government estimates that £33 billion is needed to decarbonise homes and buildings.

With 2.6 million residential homes and 230,000 non-residential buildings, that works out to £11,500 per building.

Mr Alexander added: “If you have a manageable property, you may be able to cover most of the cost of installing a heat pump.”

“To meet the tougher net zero targets we would probably need to invest four times that amount – about £45,000 per building, once done properly.”

“It’s not £33 billion, it’s closer to £130 billion. So we need to think seriously about what it will cost to get to net zero, who will pay for it and how.”