The consultation takes place for three weeks from 13 February and members of the public are being urged to share their views on Dundee’s Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES).

The Strategy sets out a strategic approach to the decarbonisation of heating and the improvement of energy efficiency in the city’s buildings, while highlighting potential areas of the city where the development of heat networks could occur.

Local authorities across Scotland are obliged to produce an LHEES following the introduction of the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (Scotland) Order 2022.

Climate, Environment and Biodiversity convener, councillor Heather Anderson, said: “We know that in order to reach net zero by 2045 and tackle climate change, we have to burn less fossil fuels. However, like the rest the Scotland, the main source of heating in our homes and public buildings in Dundee is natural gas. In order to reduce emissions, we have to firstly make these buildings more energy efficient and then move from a fossil fuel energy source, like natural gas, to a renewable energy source.

“It’s a massive task, but the good news is that making homes more energy efficient both reduces heating costs and improves the health and wellbeing of our residents, as well as creating jobs in the city.

“As a council, we’re undertaking external wall insulation where we can, and planning to do more internal insulation. As well as aiming to retrofit properties across the city, we’re also looking at alternative heat technologies, like heat pumps and non-fossil fuel derived district heating networks.”

She added: “As well as our properties, the council has the lead responsibility for thinking strategically about how the whole of the city’s energy demands are managed and met going forward. This plan is an important first step in clarifying the scale of the task ahead and identifying ways of meeting these ambitious targets.

“We want to ensure that as many people as possible take part in this consultation. How we heat the city is all of our business.”