The trade body says the country will need to “kick its addiction” to gas-fired boilers if it is to meet the ambitious target from its current renewable heat use of just 3 per cent.
The benefits of decarbonising heat use are not only related to the environment, but could save consumers money and boost the local economy, said the group’s policy manager Stephanie Clark.
“We have a chance of reaching what is a very ambitious 2020 target, but we have to act now. If we can do it, consumers and businesses will be insulated from the price fluctuations and uncertainty of supply associated with gas. We can also create hundreds of jobs and help thousands of families out of fuel poverty by using more sustainable forms of warmth like wood, solar and heat pumps,” Clark said.
“Most of our homes, businesses and public buildings are warmed by conventional gas boilers, and we must kick that addiction. District heating, for example, is a great way for hundreds of homes to share one heat source, but we have yet to see a consensus on its importance in Scotland,” Clark added.
The group said it will lobby for a “re-think” on Scotland’s approach to heat at its Low Carbon Heat conference to be held at the end of the month.