In line with the Holyrood’s green agenda, rules coming into effect from 2024 will require that all new homes and business premises install heat pumps rather than gas boilers. With a typical lifespan of 10 to 15 years for both heat pumps and boilers, the latter can cost as low as £1,500, whereas the former costs around £10,000, a substantial increase.

The report by ClimateXChange stated: “The use of zero-emissions heating technology options represented lifetime cost increases ranging from 25 per cent to 231 per cent compared to the equivalent lifetime cost of heat supply using gas boilers.”

This was met with strong criticism by opposition parties saying the Government’s policies are an “example of fanciful policies,” and “haven’t been thought through or considered in any serious way.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government told The Times: “The report in question is based on the situation in April 2021, long before the surge in gas prices to their current record levels.

“The picture would look very different today and even more so in the future given the significant potential for cost reductions in zero emissions heating technologies over the coming decades, highlighted by the report.”