With the clocks going back, households across Scotland will be adjusting their boilers to keep warm through the longer nights.

But we can’t put the clock back on the country’s energy efficiency goals and nor can we overlook the continued high cost of heating. Fuel bills have soared over the last couple of years and while the energy price cap has been lowered the Government’s discount scheme has been scrapped leaving homeowners and tenants with bills no different to those of last winter.

What we need is a much greater focus on measures that will improve thermal efficiency and help both lower bills and emissions.

The residential sector is estimated to account for about 15% of Scotland’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to our extensive use of heating systems which burn fossil fuels:  mostly gas but also including coal, oil and LPG (liquid petroleum gas).

Alternatives are available and proven to work. Heat pumps, which operate a bit like a fridge but in reverse, are suitable for almost all homes and use electricity to produce heat in a highly efficient way. Almost two-thirds of homes in Norway have heat pumps installed.

Key to their success is ensuring that homes maximise and protect the heat produced. Effectively this means having much better insulation, high-quality windows and improved roofing - sometimes even new roofs.

Installing these measures isn’t cheap; but it is transformational. Since our business  was formed almost 10 years ago we have seen first-hand how taking a "whole house" approach can deliver more energy-efficient, warmer homes.

Among our most recent projects is the £1.7 million whole house retrofit of 33 properties at Linkwood Avenue in Drumchapel. Built in the 1950s post-war era, these prefabricated, timber homes were unrecognisable when complete, resembling a new residential development.  

After our team fitted solar panels and air source heat pumps, as well as fully insulating the properties and installing new windows throughout, one resident reported a reduction of more than 50% on his weekly fuel bills. The project has also boosted his wellbeing by making his home warmer and more comfortable; a better place to live. 

Investing in higher quality, more energy efficient homes doesn’t just help householders and the environment. It also has the potential to deliver a significant boost to the economy through the development of new skills and jobs.

A few months ago, we were proud to appoint one of our former apprentices as a fully qualified heating engineer. Bailey McMillan joined us after carrying out some odd jobs as a teenager, working for his uncle, one of our subcontractors.

After welcoming his uncle into the business as a heating engineer, we gave Bailey a job as a heating apprentice, working on projects across Scotland in conjunction with undertaking a college course in plumbing and heating. Now 20, he has substantial experience of installing renewables technologies, and is a great example of the opportunities available for ambitious and hard-working young people.

The benefits of investing in training and development are clear. The question we should be asking isn’t how much will it cost - but can we afford not to retrofit the UK’s homes?

Suzanne Coyle is a director at Glasgow-based Union Technical , which provides energy services across the UK