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

4. Results

This section outlines the key findings from the twelve focus groups. The results have been broken down into five sections:

• Awareness of, and attitudes towards, net zero – the section presents the participants’ views on:
  • Net zero concept
  • Homeowners’ concerns about how the net zero targets will be achieved
• Scenario specific learnings – the section presents the participants’ attitudes towards:
  • Scenario 1 – change of occupancy
  • Scenario 2 – backstop dates
  • Scenario 3 – Boiler breakdown
• Phasing – the section summarises the potential phasing approaches to implement the proposed regulations.
• Support needed – the section outlines the support required to meet the proposed regulations.
• Public engagement – the section summarises the participants’ views on how best to raise awareness and educate people on the proposed regulation and the heat transition.

Many views were unanimous among participants regardless of their income, property type and other demographic characteristics. Where there are differences, these are discussed within each section.

4.1. Awareness of, and attitudes toward net zero^[8]

4.1.1. Net zero concept

Phase three and phase four resulted in very consistent findings with phases one and two of research. Across all participants within the focus groups, net zero was a term most were aware of but there was limited understanding of what this means for them at an individual level. Many said that the information they know about net zero came off the back of COP26 but after this, they did not hear much about it anymore. COP26 was seen as a beneficial way to raise awareness, although many said that this should have continued.

“I think it’s because of COP26. Because it was in Glasgow, and it was on the news every night I heard a lot about it. But I never gave it much interest, to be honest. Because I don’t see how a country like Scotland can affect a global problem. By us doing our recycling and whatever, how will we ever know if we reach zero? What’s the mechanism to measure it?” [Phase 4, Group 1, male, 46 – 75, Glasgow, four-in-a-block flat, digitally excluded]

According to the participants, if the targets are to be achieved, then more needs to be done to raise public awareness. This lack of information left many homeowners questioning what impact they can have on the bigger picture and many questioned why they, small homeowners, should be penalised when big businesses and other countries are more problematic; they were frustrated that the onus is put on the ‘everyday’, ordinary people.

“I think of myself as a little person […]. I don't think that you know, my small little contribution [is important] in comparison to these big businesses [the participant is referring to Amazon]. So, all these institutions, you know, they should be leading the change in my view as well as government and then we should be the last and that's the kind of approach that I take” [Phase 3, Group 4, male, 18 – 45, Edinburgh, flat]

Amongst the older participants, there was a general lack of knowledge, and many said that net zero is only a buzzword that does not mean much to them. This group also highlighted that changes are needed not just for environmental reasons but for health concerns: due to the increasing energy prices many of them and people they know are not using their heating as they previously would have and therefore this is impacting their health. If new systems can reduce running costs, there is expected to be a broader societal health benefit.

“I’ve heard of [net zero] through the media and the television and things, but I could never understand what the net zero was or what the plan is. To have it reduced by net zero and how we’re going to achieve it is kind of a mystery to me […] It’s an incentive to be comfortable and cost-effective. Cost-effectiveness would have to be the incentive for me, for people on pensions and lower incomes. […] Heat is an important factor, as important as food. That’s the comfort zone you’re in. Everything else isn’t as important. As long as you’re well fed and comfortable, you got the criteria to live healthily. That is a healthy living. Over and above that it’s just fabricated luxuries. And I think part of the government, part of the welfare system, part of the interest in the general health of everybody should [give] an incentive to do these things as well as for the planet and the future” [Phase 4, Group 1, female, 76+, Renfrewshire, end terrace house, digitally excluded]

Similarly to the first two phases of research, there was a lot of cynicism and scepticism around the government’s ability to meet the net zero target, a fact that might be heightened during the last two phases due to the increased cost of living during the cold winter. Many added that there is a lot of ‘talk’ but very little action going on to meet the targets.

“I don’t want to get maybe too political but banging the drums for years and years that we can survive off our oil and our gas; that would have been absolutely fantastic, and they should have made a lot of money from it but to me they are trying to do away with that” [Phase 3, Group 1, male, 46 – 75, East Dunbartonshire, detached house, digitally excluded]

As with the first two phases, there was a perceived positivity around the environmental motivations to reach the net zero targets and the government’s aims were seen to be a good thing even though they were also characterised as ambitious. The term ‘ambitious’ was meant in both a positive and negative way because some participants said that ambitious means unattainable whereas others said that this is the level of motivation we need to aim for in order to actually have an impact. However, many participants questioned the reality of these targets as they do not feel that within the timeframe this is achievable for all households, due to the current cost of living crisis.

“It is very ambitious; I think because it seems such a short time scale. You know, it's quite frightening because you think that [it] can't possibly be attainable. And I think the example is like the electric cars, you know, people are wanting to buy electric cars but aren't convinced that the infrastructure is there to support what's needed, to have confidence that you can operate them” [Phase 3, Group 4, female, 46 – 75, Stirling, detached bungalow]

4.1.2. Concerns about how the targets will be achieved

Similarly to the first two phases of research, there were concerns amongst the participants about how the net zero targets are going to be met and what the impact will be on themselves. Immediate concerns for all groups were around the cost of making improvements to their houses and the impact this will have on them. The current cost of living crisis resulted in many participants, specifically those who were financially vulnerable, feeling angry and frustrated with the government. The idea of potential regulations being imposed, which were expected to be expensive, was not perceived positively by the participants.

“I found it quite hard to understand it [the participant is referring to heat pumps], and I think that is one of the reasons why I was happy to be coming tonight and find out more, to perhaps get my point across about the cost; how quickly it could be done was another concern. I was thinking how is that possible to be done? And who pays for it and everything? I am not quite sure what the net-zero meant” [Phase 3, Group 1, female, 46 – 75, Renfrewshire, flat, digitally excluded]

The middle class (ABC1) audience appeared angry as they often feel like the ‘middleman’ and therefore are not able to access support or funding even though they think that they are not in a financial situation to pay for changes to their homes themselves.

“I feel like there's a real gap and ignored part of like the middle earner, the kind of man who's not doing really well or maybe not doing really poor. And I think it's really important that that's maybe prioritised actually ahead of the lower income earners because there's already financial support in them, whether it be council housing or whatever it might be, and actually maybe this is the time for the middle man to get their break […] That's not constantly just helping the lower, that has to be fair across all levels of income, all levels of wealth” [Phase 4, Group 6, male, 18 – 45, currently looking to buy]

A lot of clarification questions were asked at this stage:

• How much will this cost me?
• With every household making these changes, will they be subsidised by the government?
• What changes are needed in my home?
• How do I find out what is needed?
• Why do I need to make these changes in the first place?

In a nutshell

• 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.
• 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 due to the current cost of living crisis.
• Participants said that the government should be leading from the front in meeting the net zero targets as well as industry and big business.

4.2. Scenario specific learnings

Three possible scenarios of how new regulations could come into force were presented to each group:

• scenario 1 – change of occupancy
• scenario 2 – backstop dates
• scenario 3 – heating system breakdown

This section outlines the key points raised by participants when discussing scenarios one and three in phase three of research. It also outlines the insights collected on scenario 2 – backstop dates, which was explored more thoroughly in phase four as it was considered the fairest scenario of the three according to the participants. For more details on scenarios 1 and 3, see: “Qualitative research into domestic property owners’ attitudes to net zero heating and energy efficiency standards”, Phases 1&2, December 2022.

4.2.1. Scenario overview

Building on the findings from phases one and two, we explored the perceived fairness of the three scenarios in phase three and we focused on scenario two in phase four; as the fairness of the scenarios has been explored in detail in the previous phases, it was discussed at an overview level in this round.

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

“It is a little bit worrying as a homeowner, but it is also quite reassuring in the sense that stuff is going ahead and is going to happen. Everyone is talking and is worried about global warming etc, so it is good to see that there is an active push to try and get it sorted. But again, any positivity you get out of that is sort of headed by a bit of worry” [Phase 3, Group 2, male, 18 – 45, West Dunbartonshire, terraced house, financially vulnerable]

Many questioned the fairness of the regulations, with some asking ‘why should we’ when considering the small impact of households in Scotland compared to businesses and the rest of the world. Questions were raised about how the changes will be paid, with many assuming that if the government proposes the regulations, they have to support the households financially.

“It would also be good to acknowledge the fact that Britain is a small drop in the ocean compared to the rest of the world […] so whatever Scotland does, will make zero difference to the world” [Phase 3, Group 4, female, 18 – 45, Aberdeen, semi-detached house]

4.2.2. Scenario 1 – change of occupancy

In the first scenario, any home changing ownership would be required to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard and have a zero-emissions heating system installed. This would mean that, when a home is sold, the buyer of the property would be required to carry out the necessary energy efficiency improvements and zero-emissions heating installation within two years of the property being sold.

The overall reaction to this scenario 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.

“This seems very heavy-handed, very prescribed way of doing it. In this scenario, a lot of properties will just simply never get sold. They won't find buyers for them.” [Phase 3, Group 3, male, 18 – 45, Dumfries & Galloway, detached house]

New buyers, prospective buyers, and older audience members who had children buying their first properties were particularly negative towards this scenario, as they were concerned about young people's ability to make these changes after paying a large deposit. Some participants commented that people often mortgage all they can, so they do not have savings left to make large-scale changes to their new property.

“I think this would put a lot of buyers off buying a home, knowing that I am going to have to replace this boiler with a heat pump.” [Phase 3, Group 5, female, 18 – 45, Glasgow, flat, first-time buyer]

4.2.3. Scenario 2 – backstop dates

In this scenario, the regulations would set the following deadlines for property owners to carry out certain energy efficiency improvements and zero emissions heating system installations.

a) By the end of 2033, all properties should meet a certain level of energy efficiency, including a good level of insulation and draught-proofing.

b) By the end of 2045, all properties should be using a zero-emission heating system.

This scenario was seen to be one of the fairest ways to ensure that home improvements happen by specific dates since a backstop date can encourage people to move towards upgrading their homes.

“I think across the board, scenario two gives people the options to choose when they want to do something and they're not forced to do it at a particular point and so they can decide themselves at what point to make those changes. Obviously, with an ultimate deadline. […] So I think broadly that's the more fair option” [Phase 3, Group 3, male, 18 – 45, Dumfries & Galloway, detached house]

4.2.3.1. Faireness

Overall, the scenario was seen as fair in principle, however, the reality of implementing it and the financial impact it may have on the homeowners seemed unfair to the majority, even if they agreed that changes need to happen. The burden this scenario may impose on them outweighs the positive motivation for environmental change.

4.2.3.2. Concerns

Initial reactions across the groups were fear and anxiety. Participants across all groups – not just those who are financially vulnerable – have concerns about their ability to pay for these changes.

Some participants questioned what the penalties will be for not complying. Some others 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? In addition, participants were concerned about the potential increase in cost for the materials and labour if everyone must do the upgrades simultaneously – they mentioned that some installers might start charging increased prices for their services due to the urgency of the work.

“You do hear a lot of stories about cowboy guys that are doing it and getting money from the government and things like that” [Phase 3, Group 5, female, 18 – 45, Glasgow, flat, first-time buyer]

Those in vulnerable financial circumstances were concerned about getting through the next few months and could not think ahead to the future and what their situation might be by then.

The first-time buyers were anxious about this scenario; many had spent most of their funds on their deposit, and what was left was earmarked for renovations or buying new furniture etc. The idea of having to spend significant amounts of money on home improvements imposed by the government was a big concern for this group.

“It's another sort of like financial thing you have to think about and with everything else, cost of living, etc […] that's another thing you have to consider financially” [Phase 4, Group 6, female, 18 – 45, currently in the process of buying]

The middle class (ABC1) audience was concerned that even if they have the funds for some of the work, it will significantly impact their life as the money they would need to spend has been saved for other needs.

“There are also people with average income [in] need; not just low income [people]. I know we say [these] people […] they're rich, they have everything, but there are also people that still need help not that too high up in the rich” [Phase 4, Group 6, female, 18 – 45, currently in the process of buying]

4.2.4. Scenario 3 – Boiler breakdown

The third scenario is for the regulations to apply at the point of boiler breakdown. In this scenario, the regulations would state that, when an existing boiler breaks down beyond repair, the property owners would be required to replace it with a zero-emissions heating system, like an air source heat pump. They would not be permitted to install another gas boiler.

Some participants considered this scenario as the least wasteful way to implement changes. The younger audiences were more influenced by the lack of wastage and said there is no need to replace a product if it still works well; more harm is done to the environment by changing earlier.

Questions were raised about the practicality of making these changes in an emergency because participants were aware that there is more that needs to be changed in a house for a heat pump to be installed.

Differences were seen across age groups, with the older audience having a more pragmatic view of this as a bad scenario due to previous experience with boiler breakdowns.

“If you're thrown in a situation like a boiler breakdown, as if the situation is not bad enough, you've lost your boiler, your house is freezing, you know you need to put a whole new system in and you might not be able to afford it” [Phase 3, Group 5, male, 18 – 45, North Lanarkshire, flat, first-time buyer]

In a nutshell

• 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 given the increasing cost of living.
• Scenario two (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.
• The overall reaction to scenario one (change of occupancy) was negative, as it would harm the housing market and people's ability to buy properties.
• Scenario three (boiler breakdown) was considered the least wasteful way to implement changes as there is no need to replace a product if it still works well.

4.3. Phasing across the scenarios^[9]

In the third phase of research, we explored how the proposed regulations could be brought in through a phased approach rather than all households being required to comply at the same time. Participants were asked for their thoughts on what would be the fairest way of doing this and who should go first. It was a challenging topic causing a lot of debate in the groups with interesting insights around the ‘fairest route’ forward and who should be the ‘first’ to be enforced to change.

Similarly to phases one and two, all participants agreed that a phased approach is the best way to move forward, with council housing and new build developments being required to make the upgrades first.

“Local authorities are the best bet for getting the ball rolling. Certainty they are doing that in Annorkar now: people I know have had their conversion to their air thing” [Phase 3, Group 1, female, 46 – 75, West Dunbartonshire, semi-detached house, digitally excluded]

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.

4.3.1. Phasing for scenario 2 – backstop dates

Because scenario two was considered the fairest among the three scenarios, in phase four we looked at phasing specifically for backstop dates and how this could be implemented more successfully. Participants suggested that phasing the implementation of the upgrades further would be even more helpful for them, i.e. introducing specific dates by which all insulation upgrades must be completed, or all double-glazed windows installations should be finished etc and added that a phasing approach would reduce the ‘all at once’ rush to meet a ‘one and only’ final deadline.

Phasing by council tax

The concept used to introduce the idea of phasing the implementation of this scenario was to phase homeowners by their council tax bands. Council tax bands were selected as an approximation of a property’s emissions because data on council tax banding is widely available as opposed to EPC ratings which are not available for every property.

Phasing by council tax band proved to be a significant point of contention for the participants. Many felt that even though this was a logical way to implement change and split the population, there was an assumption made that those with higher council tax bands can 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 they believe that these properties tend to be more energy efficient already^[10] – properties in lower council tax bands should be the ones being prioritised.

“I think it sounds logical. I think it does sound really logical. You know, the people with the higher council tax bands submit higher emissions. So yeah, why? Why wouldn't you? Why would you start with the smaller ones dealing with the problem? Yeah, I think that's a really logical way of doing that” [Phase 4, Group 6, female, 46 – 75, currently looking to buy]

EPC ratings

Some first-time buyers suggested EPC ratings as a fairer way of phasing homes, with the lower EPCs going first to reduce their environmental impact and more energy efficient properties with higher EPCs following.

• Those who are first-time buyers or looking to buy their first property were much more aware of EPC ratings, as they had seen them on home reports recently whereas those who have owned their properties for a while had much less awareness of what an EPC rating is and what their own rating is.

Alternative suggestions

The participants said that they expect home improvements to result in reduced bills, so those who are struggling the most should be phased in first to make changes ahead of those in more energy-efficient homes. Generally, the fairest way to make the changes was considered to be phasing those who will be benefited the most first.

In a nutshell

• 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.
• Council houses and new build developments should be the first to make the upgrades required.
• There was debate as to who follows, with some participants 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.

Phasing by council tax

• Even though phasing homeowners by their council tax bands was considered 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.
• Properties in lower council tax bands should be the ones being prioritised as they tend to be less energy efficient.
• Participants required five to ten years’ notice before the final deadline of any proposed regulation.

4.4. Support

4.4.1. Support overview

In order to understand what support mechanisms (financial and/or non-financial) might be helpful for the general public when the proposed regulations come into force, the participants were asked to share their views and opinions on the design of potential future support that will be necessary to help them make the transition and upgrade their homes.

All participants expected that the Scottish government will implement large scale support, both financial and advice to help them upgrade their homes and hence contribute towards reaching the net zero target. The participants expected that the Scottish Government will provide them with a significant amount of support, both to help them understand why the changes need to happen and what the impact of them will be on the population, as well as financial support to allow people to make changes.

When asked what support means to the audience in relation to these targets, the majority mentioned that practical advice and funding are the two main areas in which they need support. The current lack of understanding surrounding the targets and net zero in general, means that the audience is looking for information specific to their needs but also at a more general level; they want to know the whys and the hows of what needs to be done.

4.4.2. Advice

The participants had many questions about the regulations and what they will mean for them. They were looking mainly to the Scottish Government to provide (or at the least, signpost them towards) advice and clear information – this is best suited coming from government sources, or trusted bodies such as Home Energy Scotland.

“I think support doesn't necessarily only mean financial support. You would need support in terms of education, knowledge and telling people what's out there, what they can do to start things and start that process and who to speak to, and how to get more information or to look into what options they have.” [Phase 3, Group 5, male, 18 – 45, South Lanarkshire, semi-detached house, first-time buyer]

During all phases of research, there was a general expectation that the Scottish government will offer practical advice if these changes are implemented. All mentioned that if the government are implementing regulations, they should be the ones responsible for providing support. Some of the participants’ immediate questions are the following:

• Why do I need to make these changes?
• What impact will my contribution have on the bigger picture?
• How do these new heating systems work? Are they fit for purpose?
• Where is the new heating system^[11] installed and will this work in a flat or shared block?

It is expected that there should be accessible information available online, however, participants don’t want to have to hunt for information or feel they are going ‘round in circles’ to find what they are looking for and they suggested that the Scottish government should set up support services to help answer these questions.

“Maybe a chat like those on websites and then there's a person that you could speak to 24/7” [Phase 4, Group 5, female, 18 – 45, Glasgow, flat, first-time buyer]

The advice should be available through the Scottish Government and other trusted bodies – although the participants had limited awareness of other bodies who would be suited to provide this advice – and did not expect the only source of information to be someone who could profit from the changes i.e. suppliers, engineers, salespeople etc.

“Give us all the advice, but how do we know it's not from somebody that's actually going to financially benefit out of it?” [Phase 4, Group 3, female, 46 – 75, Perth and Kinross, bungalow]

Due to previous experience – participants mentioned Covid regulations– most expected that the Scottish government website will be confusing in providing information and do not think it can give a clear answer to their questions. They suggested that all information must be easily accessible and simple to understand, and that the government website should also signpost people to other trusted sources and videos which might offer clearer explanations.

Prior to the introduction of the regulations, there needs to be increased education around what is required of homeowners and why. All are looking for practical advice to help guide them through the regulations and what they will have to do:

• There is an expectation that older and less efficient homes would be eligible for a free home consultation/survey which will detail the changes required in that particular property. This can be conducted face-to-face or via video call. If a home survey is not feasible, there should be significant advice and support provided, detailing the current situation of a house and what is required for it to meet the standards.
• For newer builds, an online comparison/tick box exercise similar to those in comparison websites for insurance would be suitable to guide homeowners through the requirements for their homes.

Homeowners wanted an element of ‘hand holding’ through the changes; there was a lot of anxiety and concern among the audience and the more information they can be provided with earlier the more informed/at ease they will feel. They expected to receive information that will give them the answers to their questions and not make them more unsure.

Participants recommended:

• Practical guidance on what the regulations will mean for them and their homes.
• Information on grants and further available support.
• Helplines for those who struggle with online information.
• Clear education on why this is needed.
• Demonstrations of new systems in practice/demo houses.
• Personalised advice and guidance for more complex properties.

4.4.3. Financial

Financial support and the information around this were vital to all audiences. Due to the current cost of living crisis, the participants said that the government need to step in with significant grants and information about accessing those grants.

“I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but, money, cash, I think that is what I expect if Scottish Government wants me to meet a certain standard or they need me to meet certain standards to meet the targets that they have set.” [Phase 3, Group 3, male, 18 – 45, Dumfries & Galloway, detached house]

There is a general feeling among the middle-class (ABC1) audience members that they would not be eligible for support. They felt victimised and emphasised that they would be financially unable to make the improvements without financial support from the government. This had a big impact surrounding the idea of fairness, as most of the participants felt that the whole idea of government regulations is unfair. They said that they are seen as the ‘middlemen’ and are left to fend for themselves.

Due to increasing concerns surrounding finances driven by the cost of living crisis, all participants requested significant financial support available to everyone who asks for it, not only the most financially vulnerable. Many mentioned that there is an assumption that people who own their own homes have disposable income and money to spend on home improvements, however, given the current climate, many people who would be considered financially stable are struggling.

• Many of the middle-class participants (ABC1) we spoke to are currently struggling, even with two incomes in the household, because the increasing cost of living is significantly impacting their financial situation more than they ever previously would have. Therefore, they expected to receive grant funding in some capacity even though they said that they are often ineligible for funding and are therefore left without support. Many are not currently in the financial situation to be able to afford the changes required without funding of some sort.
• Those who are financially vulnerable were worried about their potential ability to pay because they currently have bigger concerns that they are struggling to have the capacity to pay for.
• Older and retired participants had serious concerns about how someone in their retirement would be able to pay for these changes; many said this would cause undue stress on this cohort and support needs to focus on people who are retired and may have limited funds.
• First-time buyers and soon-to-be buyers were very concerned about their ability to pay, as many do not have surplus savings. They said that this would become a deciding factor when looking at new properties as they may have to choose homes with changes already made or reduce their deposit in order to cover improvements.

“I think the government should also have support for people searching, for first-time buyers […] [These] people have things that they're thinking over trying to survive, trying to pay their mortgages. So having that support should be something in place as well” [Phase 4, Group 6, female, 18 – 45, currently in the process of buying]

For all participants, information and time to prepare are key to reducing the anxiety that surrounds their ability to pay.

There is a lot of scepticism around financial support because many said that often support can be advertised as available, but the small print means they are not eligible. It is key that all communication on support is explicit as to who is eligible, as many of the participants had previously tried to apply for support only to find out down the line that they are not eligible and this was very frustrating for them. Therefore, all financial support must be signposted with clear information on eligibility and must be easily accessible.

• Previous experience of applying for grants/loans was a point of contention as those who had been through this process said that it is often very complex and can take a significant amount of time and effort and described it as a ‘minefield’ to get the answers they are looking for.
• One person in the rural group had previously received a £10,000 loan from Home Energy Scotland to help with the £20,000 cost of a new system. She found out just two months later that people applying would be offered a 75% grant for the same technology. This angered her significantly and she (and the rest of the group) said that there needs to be consistency in the support available.
  • Support that is available must be clearly signposted by all Scottish government communications and this must remain consistent; any deadlines for applications of support must be heavily advertised to ensure that people know what is available and when this support will be reduced or changed.

“What is your criteria for the grants? That's the first question. Then the loans. How many years is this? Do you have to pay back this loan or like what's the minimum or maximum loan you can kind of borrow?” [Phase 4, Group 6, female, 18 – 45, currently in the process of buying]

There was an understanding that those in more vulnerable situations will be eligible for more support (grants etc.) however, the middle socio-economic class participants (ABC1) often mentioned that they are left behind when it comes to support, with most agreeing that to make these changes they would have to make significant cutbacks, use savings or dip into retirement funds. While they accepted that they might not receive full funding for these changes, some funding/incentives should be available.

The audience mentioned that 0% loans would be a beneficial option and suggested that the loans could be paid back in a similar way to the bike-to-work scheme – taken off before tax directly from their pay slips.

“I just think it's a significant amount of money by the looks of things to be given as a grant. And then if the rest is an interest-free loan, then I can see that being quite attractive, yeah” [Phase 4, Group 5, female, 18 – 45, Glasgow, flat, first-time buyer]

All agreed that there should be more incentives offered i.e. reduced electricity bills, tax relief etc because according to them, there are currently not enough motivations for change.

Many said that due to the current economic crisis, they are unable to plan for the future; this is concerning for almost everyone we spoke to.

In a nutshell

Participants suggested:

• Clear advice on what they need to do through an engagement/ awareness campaign. This is best suited coming from the Scottish Government or other 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.
• Financial support from the Scottish government to help them upgrade their homes.
  • Due to the current cost of living crisis, financial support should 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.

4.5. Public engagement

In the third and fourth phase of research, we explored the participants’ views on how the public can be educated on the proposed regulations and how the Scottish Government can raise awareness of the home upgrades that will be required. All groups agreed that 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.

Different communication channels were suggested by the participants:

• Schools: all ages need to be educated about why reaching the net zero target is essential.
• Party political broadcast style mini videos between TV shows. These can cover different topics, for example: why the home upgrades are needed, the upgrades themselves in detail and what they mean for a property, the regulations in detail, the positive impact reaching net zero will have and signposting to sources of further support of advice.
• Websites with easy-to-read information.
• Quick TV adverts signposting to advise sources.

“Maybe like a television advertisement or even just say, go to this website to see how it would be or like a YouTube video or something like that or kind of view people’s imagination as to, you know, what to expect. So if it's eventually fixed in their house and it doesn't look like that, they would be able to ask the right questions like, so why does this look like it's this way and doesn't look like this in my own house, that sort of thing” [Phase 4, Group 4, female, 18 – 45, East Ayrshire, detached house]

• Online adverts.
• Social media posts, linking to further information.
• Using trusted public figures (example of Martin Lewis given in each group) to discuss the issues more broadly will also help with increased communication around the topic.
• Older participants proposed receiving information by post – this was not wanted by everyone though, so it may be an opt-in option to reduce wastage. They suggested that a letter is the first way that communication should happen because having information in their hands will help solidify the importance of the heat transition.

“A letter with an enclosed leaflet giving further details and explaining” [Phase 4, Group 3, male, 46 – 75, Highlands, detached bungalow]

“Maybe they could have some sort of informative advisors that you could actually contact if you weren't sure what the leaflet was actually saying or needed more explanation […] because sometimes it's better to speak to somebody face to face. Maybe they're in the Council offices or they could do a home visit for people who are vulnerable and can't get to the council offices so that you could actually ask the questions that you might have, that you're unsure about what the leaflet actually explains. And sometimes it's better on a face to face with somebody” [Phase 4, Group 3, female, 46 – 75, Highlands, semi-detached house]

• They said that this should be prefaced with communication via the news, which would inform the public that a letter is coming; this would help people to notice it when it arrives. The letter should include key information and links/phone numbers to find more information.

All participants highlighted that they want to feel informed about the proposed regulations and shared their anxiety about what the regulations might mean for their circumstances.

Similarly to phases one and two, references were made to the smoke alarm regulations in all groups; the smoke alarm regulations were given as an example of how not to communicate a new piece of legislation to the public. Many felt that they were never sure what the regulation was requesting, and due to the wide misunderstanding among the population, many needed further clarification about the penalties for not making the requested changes to their fire alarms. Therefore, it is vital that all regulations surrounding net zero need to be clearly communicated to the public with all incentives and penalties signposted to all.

Finally, 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. 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 were concerned that they will not have enough time to save up for the changes required.

“Ten years seems like a reasonable amount, doesn't it? Because it's probably not going to be one thing that you do. It's probably going to be a few things that you do” [Phase 4, Group 5, female, 46 – 75, Falkirk, semi-detached house, first-time buyer]

• In the majority of the groups, the fire alarm regulations were mentioned at this point as well, as many felt that there was not enough notice for this regulation.

“Not so long ago there were there regulations brought about smoke alarms. And that seemed like really, really short notice because it was like February […] it was absolute panic stations. A lot of people were really worried about that whole situation and that was something that was a relatively small cost to actually resolve” [Phase 4, Group 4, male, 18 – 45, Edinburgh, terraced house]

4.5.1. Frequently asked questions

In phase four of research, the participants were asked to share their questions and concerns in the focus groups, with the aim to understand better the queries that the public might have when the proposed regulations come into effect. The questions that the participants had are shown in the following list:

General questions:

• What are the penalties for not adhering?
• How do we get clear and impartial advice?
• What is in it for us/what are the benefits?
• Why is this happening now?
• What support will we receive?
• What is a heat pump?

New heating system questions

• Is this technology viable for all property types?
• How easy are the new systems to use?
• Are the new systems heavily tested and backed by substantial evidence?
• If the system breaks down what is the impact, and can it be fixed?
• What are the alternatives if I can't have a heat pump?
• Are they noisy?
• What is the lifespan of one of these systems? Will it need replacing every ten years?
• How durable are the new systems? (e.g. in rough conditions on rural islands)

Grands and funding

• What happens to us if we cannot afford this?
• Will there be credit checks for funding?
• How long do I have to repay loans?
• Can I control the payments/amount?
• Will these loans be paid back pre-tax like a student loan?
• What are the criteria for grants?
• How will loans be monitored and by whom?

In a nutshell

• 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.
• The campaign 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 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.