'Sick joke': SNP shelves heat pumps legislation in 'humiliating climbdown'

Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan confirmed the Scottish Government would not introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill in this parliamentary session.

The Scottish Greens called the announcement a “sick joke”.

But Ms McAllan insisted it was a “sensible, reasonable and pragmatic” response to delays to the UK government’s warm homes plan and a lack of clarity on the cost of energy bills.

READ MORE: SNP ministers accused of having 'no real plan' to ban boilers

She said she would not ask the Scottish Parliament to consider such an important Bill without a full understanding of the UK policy context, due to several key policy levers being reserved.

Proposals drawn up while the Scottish Greens were still in the government would have banned the use of “polluting” heating systems such as gas boilers by 2045.

As a “pathway” towards achieving that, the legislation set out that people buying a new home before then would have to change their heating system to a greener alternative – such as a heat pump – within a fixed period following the purchase.

However, ministers announced earlier this year the plans were being redrafted amid concerns they would "make people poorer”, with the legal requirement on homeowners and businesses removed.

Ms McAllan said legislation would now be brought forward as early as possible after the Holyrood election in May, subject to the SNP retaining power, and a draft Bill has been published.

Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who worked on the original legislation when he was a minister, said it was “an extraordinary announcement and an act of climate surrender”.

He said: “To strip the most serious content out of it will only please the new climate deniers on the political right, and to blame anyone else for this decision, which is entirely of the SNP’s making, adds insult to injury.

“To do all of this while mouthing platitudes about climate leadership turns this statement into a sick joke.”

READ MORE: It’s time to face facts about the Heat in Buildings Bill - David Alexander

Scottish Conservative housing spokeswoman Meghan Gallacher called it “an incredibly embarrassing day for the SNP Government”.

She said: “They have repeatedly talked up their Heat in Buildings Bill in various guises only to have to admit this latest version won’t come to Parliament ahead of the election.

“What they have produced is a draft Bill that still completely fails to outline how much extra hard-pressed Scots would be forced to pay in order to meet the SNP’s arbitrary targets.

“Homeowners, particularly in rural areas, will be expected to make costly energy upgrades at a time when other bills are rising. The situation surrounding the SNP’s Heat in Buildings Bill has turned into a total farce.”

Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said it was a “humiliating climbdown”.

Ms McAllan said the Scottish Government remained “fully committed” to decarbonising homes and buildings by 2045 “in a way that does not worsen fuel poverty”.

She said: “We have always been clear that our plans depend on essential clarity from the UK government, but repeated delays to their warm homes plan have left key questions unanswered – particularly on how they intend to make the switch to clean heat more affordable by reducing the cost of electricity.”

Ms McAllan added: “In the meantime, we are determined to continue to press ahead with our existing decarbonisation agenda, including developing heat networks as a significant investment proposition and viable heating source for households.”

The Housing Secretary announced additional grant support for homeowners of up to £7,500 - or up to £9,000 for households in island and remote rural areas - from December to incentivise connections to local heat networks.