£60 million for fuel poverty
4 Jun 2014 03:38 PM
Energy
efficiency help for local authorities.
Some of Scotland’s most vulnerable households will receive help to
make their homes warmer, more environmentally friendly and cheaper through a
£60 million energy efficiency fund, Housing Minister Margaret Burgess
said today.
The investment into the Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland
(HEEPS) will enable Scotland’s local authorities to install energy
efficiency measures such as solid wall, cavity and loft insulation in their
communities.
Speaking on a visit to Ravenscraig, Kirkcaldy in Fife, where she met with
residents whose homes have been improved through external wall insulation, Mrs
Burgess said:
“It is a scandal that there should be any fuel poverty in an
energy-rich nation like Scotland.
“This £60 million investment will be distributed across all of
Scotland’s local authorities and will help households in fuel poor areas
stay warm and reduce their energy bills. In total, the Scottish Government will
spend almost a quarter of a billion pounds over a three year period on fuel
poverty and energy efficiency.
“Rising energy bills remain a huge concern for this government.
Today’s funding will see thousands of homes across Scotland receive new
measures like solid wall insulation and help to drive down the number of people
living in fuel poverty.
“I am particularly pleased to announce that some of our most remote
areas, such as Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles are receiving over
£5 million more in funding than they did last year. This will ensure that
all of Scotland benefits from this funding and in particular those areas which
are off the gas grid and where households are more likely to find it difficult
to heat their home.”
Mrs Burgess continued:
“The Scottish Government is firmly committed to tackling climate
change and lowering overall emissions in Scotland. This investment will help
further reduce carbon emissions and will also support and sustain the
insulation industry in Scotland, generating work and supporting jobs.
“We are doing everything we can within our limited powers to provide a
wide range of energy efficiency measures to individual households and to local
authorities.
“We are actively working with councils and energy companies to ensure
that Scotland continues to get its fair share of funding for efficiency
programmes like these.
“Only with the full powers of independence can we fully tackle all the
causes of fuel poverty.
“We plan to permanently transfer responsibility for ECO and Warm Homes
Discount from energy companies to the Scottish Government, meeting these costs
from central resources and maintaining investment in energy efficiency. By
passing on these long term reductions to their consumers, companies will be
able to reduce bills year on year, in contrast to the UK Government’s
short term fix.”
Councillor Judy Hamilton, Executive spokesperson for Housing and Building
Services at Fife Council added:
“Fife Council is delighted to receive £2,933,009 from the Scottish
Government, so that we can continue to improve the lives of people across Fife
by making their homes warmer and cheaper to heat.
“I am particularly pleased that we will be working in partnership with
the charity Changeworks and installing insulation in the homes of people who
are at risk of fuel poverty.
"We have also recently received £2.5 million funding from Scottish
Gas via the Energy Company Obligation to transform over 250 homes in the
area."
Householders who would like to know more about this and other Scottish
Government funded offers can contact the Scottish Government’s Home
Energy Scotland hotline on 0808 808 2282 or visitwww.homeenergyscotland.org
Notes To Editors
The funding is being delivered through the Scottish Government’s Home
Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland (HEEPS), which was formerly known as
the National Retrofit Programme.
HEEPS schemes will continue to deliver a blend of energy efficiency measures
including solid wall, loft and cavity wall insulation.
Local authority HEEPS funding 2014/15
Aberdeen City
|
£1,682,828
|
Aberdeenshire
|
£3,150,000
|
Angus
|
£1,066,560
|
Argyll and Bute
|
£2,389,668
|
Clackmannanshire
|
£462,480
|
Dumfries & Galloway
|
£2,047,669
|
Dundee
|
£3,653,537
|
East Ayrshire
|
£1,568,205
|
East Dunbartonshire*
|
£608,538
|
East Lothian
|
£777,926
|
East Renfrewshire
|
£367,554
|
Edinburgh
|
£3,356,554
|
Eilean siar*
|
£2,253,800
|
Falkirk
|
£1,737,862
|
Fife
|
£2,933,009
|
Glasgow
|
£4,593,073
|
Highland
|
£3,183,019
|
Inverclyde*
|
£1,254,860
|
Midlothian
|
£1,157,000
|
Moray
|
£992,285
|
N Ayrshire
|
£1,851,923
|
N Lanarkshire*
|
£2,707,100
|
Orkney
|
£1,343,167
|
Perth and Kinross
|
£1,891,921
|
Renfrewshire
|
£2,056,339
|
Scottish Borders
|
£1,383,023
|
Shetland
|
£912,522
|
South Ayrshire
|
£1,392,291
|
South Lanarkshire*
|
£2,805,170
|
Stirling
|
£1,868,236
|
West Dunbartonshire
|
£736,671
|
West Lothian
|
£1,723,713
|
* Subject to final negotiation and assessment of submissions