Homes for Scotland (HFS) has unveiled what they are calling "an innovative new solution to achieving Scottish Government targets on climate change and fuel poverty".

The organisation has released details of its 'Retrofit Reward' scheme, which states priority must be given to upgrading older properties.

HFS says housing accounts for 27% of UK’s carbon emissions, but that new energy efficient homes account for only 0.63% of the country’s housing stock.

The scheme is being sold as an alternative to proposed changes to Building Standards set for 2013, which would add up to £12,000 to the cost of eco-home building, according to HFS.

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The basis for the Retrofit Reward scheme is based on research conducted by Dr Mohammed Imbabi from the University of Aberdeen, who specialises in low energy building engineering.

HFS says Dr Imbabi’s research shows payback from carbon emission reductions according to the proposed new standards would take over 500 years, achieving savings of as little as 0.52 – 1.13 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year per home.

HFS Chief Executive Philip Hogg said: "We fully support the Scottish Government’s ambitions to address the ongoing challenges of the green agenda but our industry is faced with competing and contradictory demands. It is being expected to increase housing production whilst building to higher standards which will lead to increased costs, higher prices and reduced affordability – all of which will ultimately result in lower output.

"We believe our scheme addresses this dichotomy by enabling home builders to have the option of either complying with new Standards or continuing building to current 2010 Standards and making a financial contribution to a retrofit fund which will be used to improve the energy efficiency of older properties."

(IT)