Rennie sets out plans for insulation and renewables

Scottish Liberal Democrat communities spokesperson Willie Rennie has today used a visit to Edinburgh Zoo to set out his party’s plans for cutting energy bills with an emergency £100m housing insulation programme and measures to make sure that local people get much more of the money companies make from generating renewable energy near them.

Edinburgh Zoo is now home to the UK’s largest zoo-based solar array, featuring more than 1,500 bifacial solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The solar meadow generates around 25% of the zoo’s total electricity requirement with the remaining energy exported to the grid.

The Scottish Liberal Democrat manifesto sets out plans to:

Make homes warmer and cheaper to heat with a new £100m emergency insulation programme, with installations getting underway before people turn up or turn on their heating later in the year.

Accelerate the rollout of smart climate-friendly heating systems, including heat pumps and district heating, backed by a Fairer Heating Bill.

Quadrupling the amount of energy generated from solar in this Parliament, unlocking investment that will roll it out across rooftops, public buildings and car parks and bringing down bills.

Re-write the rules so local people get much more of the money companies make from generating renewable energy near them.

Willie Rennie said:

“We will bring down energy bills and protect you from volatile fossil fuel prices through a £100m emergency insulation programme and by accelerating the rollout of smart climate-friendly heating and solar panels.

“We will use cheaper, cleaner energy to power Scotland securely. That will go hand-in-hand with re-writing community benefit rules so local people get much more of the money companies make from generating renewable energy near them.

“That’s a positive plan for Scotland to tackle the anger and frustration that so many people are feeling right now.

“Liberal Democrats are winning again, with more councillors, a record number of MPs and more to come.

“Let me be straight with you. You have two votes. In many constituencies we are on the verge of winning against the SNP but wherever you are, every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach ballot will deliver change with fairness at its heart.

“Scotland deserves better, and with the Scottish Liberal Democrats you can vote for it.”