People living off the gas grid in Scotland are being encouraged to find out about free energy efficiency measures as part of a £3.5m funding boost from the Scottish Government and energy company SSE.
The funding is set to help around 1000 households across 12 local authority areas with new, energy efficient heating systems and insulation. The project has a particular focus on properties that rely on electricity as their only form of heating and are at increased risk of fuel poverty.
The funding includes £2.3m from the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland (HEEPS) and £1.2m from SSE Scottish Hydro under its Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
SSE’s Head of Energy Services, Steve Storey said: “This additional funding from the Scottish Government will help us roll out further energy efficiency measures to homes in need of help across Scotland.
“We’ll be working hard with local authorities to target vulnerable households that can benefit from the new funding as many people feel that the free support available can be too good to be true and therefore miss out.
“The reality is that there are homes across Scotland which are poorly insulated or have inefficient heating systems and both the Scottish Government and SSE can provide help with these free measures to help those most in need to reduce energy use and heating bills.”
Energy efficiency measures available under the scheme include new electric storage heaters, oil and LPG boilers and loft and cavity wall insulation.
Housing Minister Margaret Burgess said: “Rising energy bills remain a huge concern for the Scottish Government and fuel poverty is still a major issue in Scotland, with over 27 per cent of households affected.
“That’s why we are investing in the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland which help people who may be struggling to cope with high energy bills. The schemes can improve the energy efficiency of homes, help households stay warm and reduce their bills.”
Norman Kerr, Director of fuel poverty charity Energy Action Scotland added: “This initiative is welcome as it goes some way towards addressing the imbalance there has been for some time in providing useful and consistent funding for energy efficiency improvements in non-urban areas.
“It is important to work with private landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties where necessary so that their tenants do not miss out on the benefits of warmer homes and cheaper fuel bills.”
The help is available to homeowners or tenants living in privately rented accommodation and in receipt of certain benefits located in the 12 local authority areas included as part of the funding programme.
To date local councils, the Scottish Government and SSE have helped hundreds of households under the scheme, which includes boilers and loft and cavity wall insulation. The Cochrane Foundation in Alloa and properties in North Muirton and Hillyland in Perth have already benefited from new energy saving measures.