Heat is not generally bought and sold as a commodity in Scotland, unlike some other European countries.  Instead we buy electricity or fuels such as gas, oil or solid fuels, including biomass and peat, and use on-site appliances such as boilers, kilns, furnaces, electric heaters and ventilation systems to provide heating or cooling.

Currently gas and electricity are the primary sources of heat for the majority of households.  Gas currently accounts for 76% of primary heating systems followed by electricity accounting for 15%.   Oil accounted for 6% of household primary heating system, with solid fuel and communal heating covering the majority of the remainder.

Where a home has a boiler, the boiler may be a combi (combination) boiler which heats the water as it is needed - otherwise the boiler heats the water to be used in a cylinder; replacing the old boiler with a new, efficient condensing boiler is an excellent way to save energy especially if combined with better controls for space and water heating and an anti-corrosion chemical inhibitor to maintain the system’s efficiency, however a condensing boiler will not work with a solar water heating system.

Modelling carried out for the Scottish Government by Arup indicates that over 40 years between 2010 and 2050, heat equipment worth over £100 billion in today’s prices will be replaced.  Going forward, if we are to meet our climate change targets, these installations will increasingly need to be low carbon installations, achieved through a mixture of increasing energy efficiency such as better controls, insulation, district heating and heat recovery, delivering renewables such as geothermal and biomass and, as we decarbonise the electricity grid, resistive heating, ground or air source heat pumps. 

To save energy the householder or building’s owner or tenant can undertake a number of measures including installing new, more controllable heaters, fit thermostats and controls to make the system more efficient or install installation and draught-proofing systems.
The Scottish Government published its District Heating Action Plan in 2013.

District heating is the supply of heat by hot water to a number of buildings through a heat network of underground pipes and is an effective way of making the most of our heat resources, reducing the carbon intensity of heat and reducing fuel costs. A large-scale heat network may take heat from several sources including gasfired Combined Heat & Power (CHP) plants, renewable energy such as geothermal, solar and biomass, stored heat from intermittent renewable electricity generation and heat recovered from industrial processes.

The Scottish Government’s Draft Heat Generation Policy Statement (HGPS) sets out how low carbon heat can reach more householders, business and communities and a clear framework for investment in the future of heat in Scotland. It discusses how Scotland might reduce the amount of energy used for heat, diversify sources of heat, provide increased security of heat supply, greater local control and reduce the pressure on household energy bills.

The most common form of insulation is mineral wool which needs a depth of 270mm - if the loft is used for living space, the roof can be insulated by fixing rigid insulation boards between rafters then covering them with plasterboard or better still insulated plasterboard

If the loft is hard to insulate you can have blown insulation installed made of cellulose fibre or mineral wool: if the loft is irregular or has lots of obstructions, loose-fill insulation can be laid – this consists of cork granules, vermiculite. Mineral wool or cellulose fibre

A flat roof is best insulated from above: a layer of rigid insulation board is added to the roof’s weatherproof layer or directly on top of the timber roof surface with a new waterproof layer on top

Insulating between the joists of the loft will keep the building warmer but the roof space cold so pipes and water tanks will need to be insulated; the loft hatch should also be insulated to prevent cold draughts coming down from the roof space

Most houses and other buildings built from 1990 onwards were built with insulation in the walls but older buildings may not have wall insulation: any building with cavity walls can be insulated - if the building was built before 1919, the walls are usually solid and in Scotland are usually built of stone

Cavity wall insulation is usually blown in from the outside – if there are any damp patches on internal walls they should not be insulated until the damp problem is fixed

Cavity wall insulation is usually made of mineral wool, beads or granules or foamed insulates

Solid wall insulation can be insulated either from the outside or the inside

Internal wall insulation is done by fitting rigid insulation boards to the wall or by fitting a stud wall filled in  with mineral fibre

If a solid wall is insulated it has to comply with Building Regulations

Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest, simplest, and most efficient ways of saving energy

Draughts are a bit like ventilation, letting fresh air into the building except that ventilation is controlled to perform the essential tasks of reducing condensation and damp whilst draughts let in to much cold air, wasting heat

Draughts are found in any accidental gaps in the construction of the building e.g. round windows and doors including keyholes and letterboxes; loft hatches; electrical fittings; suspended floorboards; pipework leading outside; ceiling to wall joints – most of these should be blocked whilst taking care to maintain sufficient ventilation, especially where there are open fires or flues and in kitchens and bathrooms where a lot of moisture is produced

All properties lose heat through windows but energy efficient glazing keeps the building warmer and quieter as well as saving energy and reducing bills – this might mean double or triple glazing, secondary glazing or just heavier curtains which are closed at night

The most energy and carbon saving glass for double glazing is low emissivity glass which lets in light and heat but cuts the amount of heat that can get out because it has an unnoticeable coating of metal oxide normally on one of the internal panes next to the gap; very efficient windows might uses gases such as argon, xenon or krypton between the sheets of glass

Warm edge spacers between the sheets of glass, containing no metal are the most efficient

For all frame materials there are windows available in all energy ratings: uPVC frames are long-lived and can be recycled; wooden frames, often used in conservation areas, have lower environmental impact but require maintenance; aluminium or steel frames are long lasting and can be recycled; composite frames have an inner timber frame covered with aluminium or plastic which keeps the frame weatherproof and reduces the need for maintenance

Some window manufacturers use an energy rating scheme A-G like the one used for electrical appliances: replacement windows will be more airtight than  the old ones and it can be sensible to choose windows with trickle vents to let in a small amount of controlled ventilation

In conservation areas or where the property is a listed building, there may be restrictions on replacing windows

Non-intrusive window insulation options available for historic buildings such as heavy lined curtains, shutters, secondary glazing and sealed blinds

There are areas of special architectural or historic interest e.g. the two world heritage sites in Edinburgh, the New Town and the Old Town where any work carried out on the home must preserve or enhance the character of the area; this can mean that the property owner may not replace windows but not necessarily so, as replacement windows can be made to look like the originals – in these cases the local council’s conservation officer should be consulted

Sash windows are common features of period properties and are often a design feature; they consist of 2 vertically sliding frames but are often badly fitting as well as being made of single pane glass so have poor insulating qualities; an increasing number of double glazing companies offer double glazing in period  buildings, although the replacement windows can be expensive so secondary glazing might be the most cost effective option to save energy.

Doors can be insulated and draught-proofed to prevent heat escaping; new external doors generally contain integrated insulation to reduce heat loss and to comply with building regulations

A properly fitted external door should include an effective draught-proofing system; existing doors can be improved by fitting draught-proofing strips round the seals and the letterbox

Conservatories: even the best quality glazing loses heat more quickly even than an uninsulated cavity wall – conservatories are not thermally efficient and therefore should not be heated but kept for summer; provided that they are never heated and the doors between the conservatory and the heated building’s interior are kept shut in cold weather, they can actually reduce heat loss by acting as an extra insulating area; installing a sealed sliding door and sealed blinds or heavy lined curtains will make the most of this insulation factor.

All domestic and commercial buildings in Scotland that are available for purchase or rent must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): when private homes are for sale the EPC and an energy report provided by an approved Energy Performance Assessor goes along with the Home Report produced by a charted surveyor (often the same person

EPCs are valid for 10 years, tell the purchaser and owner how energy efficient a building is and give it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient)

The EPC will also state how the energy efficiency rating could be improved and highlight cost-effective ways to achieve a better rating e.g. switching to more energy efficient light bulbs

Lighting accounts for 7% of a typical household’s  energy bill: cutting the lighting bill is a very easy and effective way of saving energy and money

Replacing bulbs - houses use a mixture of standard light fitting and down-lighters or spotlights: energy saving bulbs are available for all these fittings: there are 2 main types of energy saving bulbs – Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs); LEDs are the more expensive but are the more efficient and will save more energy and more money over the lifetime of the bulb

Turning lights off – changing how lights are used by implementing controls and changing behaviour will save energy and money

Always turn lights off when leaving a room even when returning shortly

Be aware of how many lights are on and whether they are really needed

Position light switches where they are convenient to turn on and off

Use a sensor and timer on external lights to keep their use to a minimum

Use appropriate lighting e.g. a low background light when watching TV and a bright concentrated light for reading

Similar but larger scale practices should be adopted in the workplace and in public buildings

Energy ratings are generally given to products based on size categories so that similarly sized products can be compared: 2 differently sized appliances with the same energy rating may use quite different amounts of electricity therefore it is best to look for the best energy rating for the size of product you require

On average Scottish households spends between £45 - £80 a year each on powering appliances left on standby mode: a considerable waste of money and a waste of energy

Companies and public buildings waste much more energy commensurate with their size

Smart Meters are the next generation of gas and electricity metres that can provide real time information on how much gas an electricity is using, allowing the householder to have visible up to date figures on use and spend

As well as switching appliances off when not being used, individuals should think about the way they use appliances e.g. only boiling the amount of water needed instead of boiling a whole kettle full will save both money and energy over a year and drying clothes outside instead of using the tumbler dryer will save a great deal of energy

The manufacture of electrical items uses a lot of energy and valuable materials including precious metals and should be recycled where possible  to save energy and lower carbon emissions;  electrical equipment can also contain dangerous chemicals so their safe disposal is paramount in a way that lets the hazardous substances removed
and other parts can be recycled rather than being sent to landfill

Much of the energy needed to make the things we use and consume is wasted when the products are thrown out

Scotland is working to become one of the worlds Zero Waste nations and Zero Waste Scotland works to help Scotland’s people to cut waste

Recycling glass, and plastic paper will save energy by reusing the recycled material to make new products

Householders and even companies can reuse and recycle items and materials by choosing products that are second hand, made from recycled materials or contain used parts

A great deal of food is wasted; an average Scottish household throws away £430 of wasted food: householders can remedy this by only buying what is needed and can be used and using up leftovers

Over 30% of an average household bin can be composited saving energy and reducing the amount of bought-in compost

Choosing items with less packaging, buying concentrates and using refillable products will reduce the amount of packaging that is wasted

In traditional buildings, insulating under the floorboards on the ground floor will save energy, money and carbon; sealing the gaps between floors and skirting boards will also do this  but the building’s occupants must be careful not to block underfloor air bricks installed for ventilation purposes

Newer buildings will usually have a ground floor made of solid concrete – this can be insulated if it needs to be replaced or can have rigid insulation laid on top

There is no need to insulate upper floors if the rooms are above heated spaces but it would be beneficial to insulate the floors of upper rooms if they are above unheated spaces e.g. garages

Rugs and carpets will also help to keep the building warmer, thus saving energy