A lack of sufficiently skilled electrical workers is threatening efforts to meet net zero targets safely, a leading trade body has warned.

"Significant investment" is needed ahead of upgrades to accommodate green domestic technology, according to construction trade group SELECT. This includes backing for "proper" apprenticeships and programmes to upskill the existing workforce.

The group's comments come as the Scottish Government prepares to launch a consultation into the New Build Heat Standard in April of next year, which aims to reduce carbon emissions from Scottish building stock. SELECT said that while it agrees with the aim of regulating direct emissions heating (DEH) in new buildings, rolling out greener options could have unintended consequences.

In its response, SELECT said: “Zero direct emissions heating (ZDEH) installations may impact on the consumer’s electrical installation and require the upgrading of some aspects of the consumer’s distribution equipment. Has the availability of sufficient skilled and competent installers been considered?"

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The group also warned that poorer households could be less likely to install new low-carbon heating technology, leaving them with outdated, expensive and unsafe systems.

Its response noted: “The capital and operating costs of ZDEH systems are more costly than most traditional sources. It is likely that lower income households will not have sufficient resources to enable them to upgrade their existing DEH systems easily and householders may be content to continue to use the older, and possibly redundant, systems well beyond their intended lifespans.

“This has the potential of increasing the number of safety incidents if systems are operated without adequate maintenance to ensure their safe and efficient operation and much higher running costs, as older products will be much less energy efficient.”