Rural communities welcome changes to New Build Heat Standard

Press Release

Allowing wood burners and other bioenergy (and peat) heating systems to be installed in new-build homes signals a welcome and common sense approach, Scottish Land & Estates said today.

The rural organisation was speaking after the Scottish Government announced it would permanently revise the New Build Heat Standard to allow installation of wood burning stoves and other heating systems. The announcement follows a temporary direction to the same effect issued in September.

The move comes in the wake of the furore in April this year when the regulations came into effect which banned the installation of wood-burners in new builds except where a ‘need can be justified’, such as for emergency heating.

Dr Alasdair Allan, Acting Minister for Climate Action, announced the decision today, during a visit to a newly completed conversion of a former farm steading in Blairnathort, Kinross-shire.

Since April, Scottish Land & Estates has made the case that people living in rural and island areas would be disproportionately affected by the legislation.

People in these areas experience significantly higher rates of fuel poverty than people living in towns and cities and in many cases are off the gas grid, with limited alternative options for heating.

Rural and island areas of Scotland also remain susceptible to power cuts. 

In addition, there is a lack of qualified tradespeople in many rural areas to install a ZDE (zero direct emissions) heating system, further disadvantaging these communities.

Anna Gardiner, Policy Adviser (Rural Property) at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “We very much welcome the time taken by the Scottish Government to review the New Build Heat Standard. 

“Due to the lack of infrastructure in many rural parts of Scotland, there are few low carbon options for people to heat their homes other than through wood burners or biomass heating systems. There may come a time in future when such systems can be replaced by zero-emission heating systems but it is abundantly clear that capability is not here yet, especially in rural areas.

“This is a welcome and common-sense approach by government particularly at a time when fuel poverty continues to be an acute issue in rural Scotland.”

According to Scottish Government figures, three times more households in remote rural areas are classed as in extreme fuel poverty (households which spend more than 20% of their net income on household fuel) compared to the proportion in accessible rural areas and in the rest of Scotland.