Green heating rules will create mortgage prisoners, says Ewing

Proposed green heating rules risk turning some Scots into “mortgage prisoners”, Fergus Ewing, the SNP veteran, has claimed.

The Scottish government has just finished a consultation on legislation proposed to decarbonise the country’s buildings.

Its Heat in Buildings Bill, as it stands, includes a proposal to compel homebuyers to switch from oil or wood-burning boilers, perhaps two to five years after purchase. It also expects buyers to comply with minimum energy-efficiency standards.

Ewing, however, has warned that homeowners who cannot afford to make the necessary changes could end up unable to sell their property.

The Highland MSP told The Sunday Times: “Given these obligations will be unaffordable or unachievable or both, that in turn means that such illegal homes won’t qualify for a new mortgage.