Average Cost of Going Green - £7,000 Per Home

Posted under Blog by Ruth

A new report has stated that it will cost £16billion over the next 10 years to make homes across Scotland more energy efficient.

The report comes as part of the new action plan by the Scottish Government to get homeowners installing double glazing and replacing old boilers. The estimates stated that this work would cost a total of £7,000 per home, or £16billion in total.

The Scottish Government will be helping homeowners out with interest free loans in the range of £500 to £1000.

Senior policy officer of WWF Scotland, Elizabeth Leighton, stated that homes in Scotland account for a third of all carbon emissions. By reducing emissions of homes, this will bring Scotland closer to its 42 percent reduction goal by 2020.

Leighton also stated that it will create thousands of ‘green jobs’ and help reduce fuel bills. The figure of £16billion isn’t as large as it seems when spread over 10 years, with the cash coming from a variety of sources.

Chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, Duncan McLaren, stated that £7,000 may seem like a huge sum. However, taking into account average property values in Scotland, ‘it’s a small investment to make’.

Government plans have been criticised by some groups for not delivering enough, and only introducing these measures late in the day.

MSP Patrick Harvie has stated that, to see a real difference in the most difficult homes, the fund would need to amount to tens of millions.