The Potential Impacts of Brexit on Energy Efficient Scotland Funding

Brexit, regardless of its final form, will affect the access that Scotland, and the UK as a whole, will have to EU funding sources for a number of actions, including the promotion of residential energy efficiency. In this work we explore how funding restrictions may affect the potential outcomes of the Energy Efficient Scotland (EES) programme. We focus on impacts on the amounts available to be offered as government grants and the availability of private loans. Our findings indicate that in order to achieve the goals of the programme it is key to try and maintain the originally planned level of funding. However, the options used to bridge any funding gaps need to be carefully considered, otherwise the benefits from EES could be significantly eroded. We also find that it is crucial for the overall success of EES to use any options available to ensure the continued availability of private loans.