As referred to in the answer to question S6W-22629, we have a marketing campaign planned for the new year which will target households who are considering installing a heat pump. We are currently developing options for this campaign.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

We have recently provided data on the number and value of grants and loans awarded for the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme broken down at local authority level under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004. This can be found on the Scottish Government website here.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23653 on 21 December 2023. Marketing plans for Home Energy Scotland grants are currently in development. As such there are no plans requiring revision. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

As uptake of clean heating systems increases, the number of people employed in the sector is expected to increase. The rate of increase required will be driven by consumer demand, which in turn will be driven by a range of different factors including any regulations that are introduced. As we continue to develop our regulatory proposals and wider package of support we will undertake further analysis as required to understand needed growth rates.

No economic modelling has been undertaken. As we continue to engage with the sector, if a need for economic modelling emerges then we will consider it. Future demand for heat pump maintenance will be influenced by a range of different factors related to business needs and future local demands, including our recent regulatory proposals. We will continue to work with the sector to understand the impact of our proposals and the wider package of support we currently have in place. A key ask of the supply chain has been clarity about scope and timing of regulation which is central to their planning for investment in capacity and skills needed for manufacture, installation and maintenance. This is why we set out our draft proposals on regulation on 28 November.

The data sources used to identify this audience are listed in the answer to question S6W-23654 on 21 December 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Clean heating system maintenance costs will vary depending on factors including the type of system and usage. We are proposing a technology-neutral approach to decarbonising homes across Scotland, with homeowners able to choose the technology which is right for them. We do not expect the cost to households of maintaining a clean heating system to be significantly different from what they would pay for a polluting heating system. The estimated maintenance costs in existing homes in 2020 used by the Climate Change Committee Sixth Carbon Budget, and developed with latest available evidence and input from a range of industry stakeholders, are the same (£100 per year) for both air source heat pumps and gas boilers. Of course many low income households rent their properties through private or social landlords, and while these maintenance costs will be comparable to those living in owner occupied homes, they will typically sit with the landlord.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan scheme is open to all domestic owner-occupied households in Scotland.

The rural uplift to the HES Grant and Loan is available to all island households, as well as households with a rural classification of 7 or 8 within the Scottish Government 8-fold Urban Rural Classification. It is also available to households with a rural classification of 6 if their postcode is registered as off-gas on the Xoserve off-gas list.

Applications to the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme can be unsuccessful due to the failure of a credit check. Credit checks are only carried out when an applicant is requesting loan funding.

An application may also be declined if the application fails to meet the conditions of the scheme. For example, if the applicant were to apply to use a non-accredited installer or if the measures applied for were not recommended for their property.

As outlined in the response to question S6W-22651, applicants have 9 months to complete works and claim their funding from the date that their funding application is approved. This means that payments to applicants are often made in the months following their application approval.

Approved funding applications will not be paid if the applicant fails to submit a valid claim for the approved amount of their application.