Associate Feature: Greening Scotland

Transport and home emissions are significant contributors to Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions. So inevitably, homes and cars are at the forefront of our energy transition. 

Scotland’s Heat in Buildings Strategy recognises how the move to net zero will dramatically expand the role of electricity in heating our homes. However, regulatory proposals have not established how prepared current domestic electrical installations are for this change. 

While new build homes can, and must, plan for the electrification of heat, existing ones will prove a bigger challenge. This is particularly problematic for older housing with outdated electrical installations.

Scotland’s situation is also more complex than the rest of the UK due to 40% of its housing stock being flats. The mix of owner occupancy, privately rented and social housing, within the same apartment block, adds to the difficulty of retrofitting. The huge increase in electrical appliances, such as electric boilers and heat pumps, together with a shortage of trained installers and a lack of familiarity with electrical heating, will all – inevitably - impact on electrical safety. 

Government policies must ensure that Scotland’s move to a net zero future doesn’t compromise consumer safety but, to achieve this, we need the right information. We are calling for the national Scottish House Condition Survey to be updated, to assess the preparedness of domestic electrical installations and potential capacity constraints. This will provide essential data on how Scotland’s current housing stock can be made ready for a low carbon future - and where electrical risk may arise.

Electric vehicles (EVs) play a key part in Scotland’s move to net zero. To encourage their uptake, access to convenient and reliable charging points is essential, especially if charging at home isn’t viable. While public charging points are being installed across Scotland, research indicates that charging an EV at home is much preferred. As well as being convenient, using a dedicated home-based EV charging point is usually cheaper than a public one - and safer and quicker than using a domestic plug socket. 

Our research shows that a lack of convenient access often results in drivers charging EVs unsafely. This includes using extension leads unsuitable for outdoor use and charging from a general UK plug socket. We found 74% of those charging EVs via a household domestic socket blamed a lack of easy access to public charging points.

In Scotland, around 60% of people live in flats, tenements, and terraced housing, where there are limited parking options. Installing an EV home charging point can also be problematic if you are a private rented sector (PRS) tenant, where landlord permission is required before installation. As 14% of Scottish households live in the PRS, and flats comprise 67% of PRS homes, this is a significant issue that must be resolved.

In 2020, there were over 25,000 licensed EVs in Scotland, with just over 2,000 publicly available charging points; and in 2021, the number of home EV chargers was estimated to be 11,500. This illustrates a significant ‘gap’ in accessible charging point provision. 

The Scottish Government, Local Authorities, and industry, must ensure that there is an adequate EV charging infrastructure across the nation, to reduce the risk associated with dangerous charging practices. Support should be focused on areas where existing provision is particularly low, with consideration given to undertaking a mapping exercise, to help ensure charging provision is coordinated, without additional geographic disparity created.

Scotland’s path to net zero requires fundamental changes to our homes and energy use. Yet in our increasingly electric world, the critical importance of electrical safety is not acknowledged. Wayne Mackay, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at campaigning charity Electrical Safety First, explains why it must not be overlooked.

Electrical Safety First is the UK charity dedicated to preventing deaths, injuries, and fires arising from electricity – the cause of almost three-quarters of all house fires in Scotland annually.

This article is sponsored by Electrical Saftey First.