April 1st marked the start of the ban on gas boiler installations in new build homes in Scotland.
Under the Scottish New Build Heat Standard (NBHS) published in June 2023, any heating in a new building will be required to be a zero direct emissions heating (ZDEH) system i.e. one which produces negligible direct greenhouse gas emissions at the point of use. This will mean heat pumps being installed in a majority of new builds.
David Cowdrey, Director of External Affairs at the MCS Foundation, comments: “Gas and oil heating systems in new homes should be a thing of the past, and the new building regulations in Scotland are addressing that today.
“Heat pumps are the only viable solution for getting homes off fossil fuels at scale, and will have the benefit of reducing energy bills in all new-build homes.
“The government in Westminster should now follow the lead of Holyrood and make heat pumps the default heating systems for all new homes in England, as Scotland is leading the way.”
