SNP Stopping home solar panel loans is short sighted

Local Liberal Democrats have condemned the decision by the Scottish government to withdraw interest-free loans for domestic solar panel systems as “extremely short-sighted at a time of soaring energy bills”.

South Lanarkshire Council’s Liberal Democrat Group leader Councillor Robert Brown called on the SNP/Green Government to reverse its decision and restore availability of the loans.

Robert Brown said:

“I understand this announcement was made without any prior warning or consultation. It comes only a week after the Scottish government missed a key target to reduce greenhouse emissions – withdrawing support for solar panels is likely to make things worse.

The SNP-Green Government should be doing everything possible to reduce sky-rocketing energy bills and tackle the climate emergency, so this decision is mind-bogglingly counterproductive and has been done without notice.

The pay back period for solar panels has come down a lot as more people take them up and as energy prices have soared. Now is the time to increase the pace, help more families stabilise their bills and add pace to our climate change response.”

ENDS 

Notes to editors

You can find the announcement to withdraw the loans here