Heat in Buildings: progress report 2025
Annual update on progress against our Heat in Buildings Strategy and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.
Footnotes
1 Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2023 - gov.scot
2 Figures for previous years may differ from those published in earlier reports due to revisions made to the underlying data sources. These updates tend to reflect improved methodologies, corrections, or the incorporation of late returns.
3 Following the 2022 census the National Records of Scotland (NRS) revised their household estimates for the 2012 to 2022 period. For Scotland as a whole there was a downward revision which increased over time, from 0.2% in 2012 (-3,590 households) to 1.4% (-34,478 households) in 2022. Therefore, direct comparisons with reported household figures provided by the 2023 SHCS Annual Report and previous reports should not be made. See section 1.1.6 of the SHCS methodological and technical notes for a full description.
4 HNMBR data have been released in four yearly cycles as heat network operators must submit an updated notification within four years of the date of the previous notification.
5 Figures for previous years may differ from those published in earlier reports due to revisions made to the underlying data sources. These updates tend to reflect improved methodologies, corrections, or the incorporation of late returns.
6 Heat network operators must submit an updated notification within four years of the date of the previous notification under the HNMBR.
7 Figures for previous years may differ from those published in earlier reports due to revisions made to the underlying data sources. These updates tend to reflect improved methodologies, corrections, or the incorporation of late returns.
8 Figures in the table may not sum due to rounding.
9 Data accurate up to February 2025.
10 Heat network operators must submit an updated notification within four years of the date of the previous notification under the HNMBR.
11 Data accurate up to February 2025.
12 NDA data accurate up to February 2025.
13 The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework incorrectly listed the ‘unit’ for this indicator as ‘number of properties’. This has been updated in this report to read ‘per cent’. Data for ‘other electric heating’ have also been included in this report.
14 Figures for previous years may differ from those published in earlier reports due to revisions made to the underlying data sources. These updates tend to reflect improved methodologies, corrections, or the incorporation of late returns.
15 This was reported as 1.35 TWh in the Heat Networks Delivery Plan: Review Report 2024 (www.gov.scot). The slight discrepancy in figures is due to a rounding error.
16 The 2019 fuel poverty estimate used a slightly different methodology to the 2022 estimate. While the two are comparable, these differences should be noted. See section 1.5.1 of the 2022 SHCS Methodology report for full details: Supporting documents - Scottish House Condition Survey: Methodology Notes 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
17 Economic Value of Clean Heat in Scotland | Scottish Enterprise
18 Construction Leadership Forum
19 Data are shown for those in-training as of 31 March of each year.
20 Framework classifications can be found on the SDS website: sds-occupational-groupings-2023-24.pdf (skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk).
21 Data are shown for those in-training as of 31 March of each year. The Graduate Apprenticeship framework for Construction and the Built Environment was established in 2018-19. Data only available up to 2022-23.
22 Data includes all modes of study (part time and full time). Early withdrawal enrolments have been removed.
23 Subject classifications can be found in the FES guidance document: FES Guidance notes 2022-23 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk).
24 Data combines undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study, all modes of study (part time and full time) and all years of study. Data are based on full person equivalents.
25 Subject classifications can be found on the HESA website; HESA - Experts in higher education data and analysis.
26 Scottish Climate Survey: main findings - gov.scot
27 SHS LCR1 asked respondents: “I'm now going to ask some questions about renewable energy systems which can be installed to power and heat homes. Which if any of the following systems have you heard of?” In 2018, the sub sample size for this question was 3,820. In 2022, the sub sample size for this question was 3,880. In 2024, the subsample size was 5,550 (rounded to the nearest 10). Columns do not add to 100 percent because multiple responses were possible.
28 Green Finance Institute – UK Green Mortgage Products
29 Key areas are summarised at indicator 4.2.1B.
30 Ofgem publish historical price cap levels in their Final levelised cap rates model (available here: Energy price cap (default tariff) levels | Ofgem). The figures reported here exclude the standing charge, include VAT and are averaged over financial years.
31 Gas and electricity prices in the non-domestic sector
32 Wholesale market indicators | Ofgem
33 In 2021, gas set the price of electricity 97% of the time, and the average between 2015 - 2021 was 83%. Source: The role of natural gas in setting electricity prices in Europe - ScienceDirect
34 OFGEM (2025) RIIO-3 Draft Determinations Overview Document
35 While the number of ‘committed applications’ can also serve as an indicator for progress and feed into future years’ installed figures, this report does not include these data.
36 Tables refer to clean heating systems as zero direct emissions heating (ZDEH). These systems, such as heat pumps, district heating, efficient electric storage heaters, wet electric heating and other direct electric, do not produce any greenhouse gas emissions at the point of use.
37 These measures include solar PV, solar thermal and battery storage.
38 Although WHS also provides support to households to install ancillary measures, such as smoke alarms, extra radiators and energy efficient light bulbs, they are not included in this report which focuses on measures most relevant to the Heat in Buildings Strategy.
39 Financial year 2023-24 included a transition period between the closing of the previous scheme to new applications in April 2023 and the start of the new phase in October 2024.
40 The Scottish Government’s policy decision committed “to immediately end public subsidies for oil and LPG boilers”. In line with that commitment, Scottish Government funding was no longer available for replacement oil/LPG heating systems as of 6 September 2021.
41 Financial year 2023-24 included a transition period between the closing of the previous scheme to new applications in April 2023 and the start of the new phase in October 2024.
42 Heat network project reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
43 Total Resource spend includes all resource expenditure required across the Heat in Buildings programme to fund delivery and policy implementation. This includes Advice Services, HES/SME Grant and Loan administration costs and pre-capital support.
44 Total investment includes the return of income relating to closed schemes and return of cash through the re-awarding of the administration contract for our HES/SME Grant and Loan schemes. This was re-invested through Heat in Building schemes.
45 This was a transition year where the Advice Service was moved to a new delivery partner.
46 There was a transition in delivery stakeholder in 2021 – 2022 and data for this year is not available.
48 Energy Performance Certificate reform consultation: response - gov.scot
49 Support for green heat installers
50 Mobile heat pump training centre - Energy Saving Trust
51 Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Contact
Email: heatinbuildings@gov.scot