Net zero heating and energy efficiency standards - phase 3 and 4: qualitative research

5. Conclusions

This section outlines the key findings against the research questions posed:

What are domestic property owners’ views on the imposition of regulatory standards for both zero emissions heating and energy efficiency in domestic properties over the time period out to 2045?

• Net zero was a term most participants were aware of but there was limited understanding of what this means for them at an individual level. According to the participants, if the net zero targets are to be achieved then more needs to be done to raise public awareness.
• Participants were sceptical about the government’s ability to take action, even though they were generally positive about the environmental motivations to reach the net zero targets. However, the reality of meeting these targets was uncertain as the timeframe did not seem achievable for all households, due to the current cost of living crisis.
• Whilst most participants agreed that something needs to be done to reduce emissions and help Scotland reach net zero, there was a disconnect between agreeing with this and taking responsibility themselves to take action. Many stated the cost of complying and not seeing a clear, personal financial benefit from upgrading their properties as the main barriers.
• Whilst participants are not against the imposition of standards in domestic properties, they said that the government should be leading from the front as well as industry and big business. Participants said that their impact as individuals was much smaller in comparison to big businesses and the industry and that they want to see these organisations taking action too.
• Middle-income participants were concerned that they will not be eligible for financial support to upgrade their homes even though they think that they are not in a financial situation to pay for changes to their homes themselves.

What are domestic property owners’ views on specific potential models for standards and how would those apply across society?

Overall, there was positivity towards the scenarios, with all participants understanding that regulations must be in place to encourage change; however, there were concerns about the reality of implementing these regulations. There was a lot of anxiety around enforcing change and imposing laws and this was concerning for the participants, specifically given the current economic climate and the increasing cost of living. Most understood the importance of environmental improvements; however, the financial impact of these changes was of higher importance to the audience.

Scenario 2 (backstop dates) was seen as one of the fairest ways to ensure that home improvements happen by specific dates and encourage people to move towards upgrading their homes.

• All participants– not just those who are financially vulnerable – had concerns about their ability to pay for these changes.
• Some participants said that this is a wasteful way of imposing changes. If someone has a boiler that works well, why should they have to change it?

Participants attitudes towards scenarios one and three were mostly negative:

• The overall reaction to scenario one was negative, specifically for the new or soon-to-be buyers. According to the participants, this scenario would harm the housing market and people's ability to buy properties.
• Some participants considered scenario three as the least wasteful way to implement changes as there is no need to replace a product if it still works well. All participants agreed that if their heating system broke, they would need to replace it as soon as possible, without the time to research a technology that they do not know much about let alone the time to raise any additional funds.

How should the proposed regulation be implemented in a phased approach and what is the fairest way of doing this?

All participants agreed that a phased approach is the best way to move forward as it would reduce the ‘all at once’ rush to meet a ‘one and only’ final deadline; participants suggested council housing and new build developments to be the first to make the upgrades required. There was debate as to who follows, with some supporting that those with the highest incomes/tax brackets should go after and others saying that the houses with the most significant improvements required should go after.

• The concept used to introduce the idea of phasing the implementation of this scenario was to phase homeowners by their council tax bands. Participants said that even though this was a logical way to implement change, there was an assumption made that those with higher council tax bands would afford to make these changes earlier than others, which is not always the case. In addition, some participants mentioned that phasing the higher council tax properties first might not be useful, as according to them these properties tend to be more energy efficient already – properties in lower council tax bands should be the ones being prioritised.
• Participants mentioned that they would require a minimum of five years’ notice before the final deadline of a proposed regulation, while some others felt that ten years would be most suited, as they are concerned that they will not have enough time to save up for the changes required.

What do domestic property owners believe may help them meet any standards, and who should provide this help?

There are two main areas that participants said would help them to meet any new standards:

• clear advice on what they need to do through an engagement/awareness campaign. The participants had a large number of questions about the regulations and what they will mean for them personally. They were looking mainly to the Scottish Government to provide (or at least, signpost them towards) advice and clear information. This is best suited coming from government sources or trusted and impartial bodies so that they know that they are being told what is best for their situation as opposed to just being sold to by someone with a commercial interest.
• there was an expectation from all participants that the Scottish government will implement large-scale support, both financial and advice related to help them upgrade their homes and hence contribute towards reaching the net zero target. Due to the current cost of living crisis, all participants requested the financial support to be available to everyone who asks for it, not only the most vulnerable. Support might be in the form of grants, interest-free loans, equity loans, arrangements through mortgages or other incentives i.e. reduced electric bills, tax relief etc. All financial support must be signposted with clear information on eligibility and must be easily accessible.

How do domestic property owners perceive the interrelationship between any standards and climate change, and to what extent does the role of standards in tackling climate change affect their attitudes towards it?

• Participants did see the link between any new standards and climate change, but the link isn’t tangible enough for them. Most participants don’t understand what will happen if it’s not done and they don’t see the impact or benefit to them personally.
• Some participants said there is too much of a gloomy outlook on climate change and a feeling that it is too late to do anything whilst others feel there needs to more scaremongering to encourage people to take action.
• Participants said that the personal impact that they can have is very minimal when compared to big businesses, industry and other countries.
• Participants said that they would need to understand the impact and benefits more clearly before investing into these changes.

In which ways can the public be informed and educated on the proposed regulations and the home upgrades that will be required to meet net zero?

There needs to be a large-scale campaign to engage with the public about all required changes and the reasoning behind them. The campaign needs to be widely distributed and target all aspects of the population; it needs to start with an upfront ‘education’ piece to help people understand why the changes are required, what net zero means and the impact it will have on people and their properties. The participants suggested that the information needs to be distributed as soon as possible, to give people enough time to understand what is going to change and the impact this will have on them.