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A plan to help Scottish homeowners pursue cheaper prices from energy suppliers by installing nationwide insulation could cost £16 billion, according to a new report.
Scottish finance secretary John Swinney announced that a pilot scheme to supply home loans of up to £10,000 to help reduce domestic carbon emissions by 42 per cent will cost £2 million, but research suggests the cost of expanding nationwide will carry the multi-billion pound price tag.
Environmental group the World Wildlife Fund Scotland voiced its support for the plan and Elizabeth Leighton, the organisation's senior policy officer, said the spending would come from a range of sources and be spread over a ten-year period.
Ms Leighton said: "Improving home energy-efficiency is a win not only for carbon savings but for lifting people out of fuel poverty and creating thousands of green jobs."
Mr Swinney added that £7,000 for each household could be used for measures such as double-glazing, insulation and even microgeneration facilities.
The UK government plans to roll out smart meters to millions of homes to enable more people to compare energy practices easily.
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