I've criticised the Scottish Government's home insulation plans many times before, but a new report really shows how bad they are.
Rather than adopt a universal scheme which the Scottish Greens were pushing for, the government decided on a means-tested formula. So instead of just blitzing an entire street in one go, with everyone getting insulation, the installers are all over the place and you only get it if you qualify first.
In two years, they've managed to install loft insulation in just 241 homes, with another 423 receiving cavity wall insulation and 559 getting an insulation 'top-up'.
Out of the 58,000 homes visited, that's a ridiculously small number.
It doesn't get any better when you start looking at how much it costs per household compared to what the universal scheme in Kirklees cost.
But what really shows the government scheme for the madness it is, is the time scale for doing all this. The report reckons that to go round every home in Scotland will take 200 years!
I don't think climate change will give us that luxury.
2 comments:
I cant see how giving free home improvements to Fred Goodwin and JK Rowling is a good thing. Why give freebies to the rich?
You're right, they probably don't need a freebie. That doesn't mean they'll use their money to insulate their homes.
A universal scheme brings economies of scale that a means-tested one doesn't. Blitzing an entire street in one go is a lot cheaper and faster than stopping to find out if Mrs McShoogle in Number 43 has enough money in the bank to do it herself.
Chances are, Mrs McShoogle won't do it herself. Insulation isn't exactly one of those things that becomes a top priority in people's lives.
But Mrs McShoogle is emitting carbon just as much as her neighbours. If we insulate everyone's homes then the benefits to the economy, in the form of jobs to local companies and savings to the householders, and to the country's emissions are enormous.
Post a Comment