Scotland’s older, cold houses will be transformed into environmentally friendly homes which are easier and cheaper to heat thanks to new Scottish Government funding.
The Scottish Government writes:
Homes across Scotland will receive measures such as solid wall insulation, double glazing and central heating systems under a wave of pilot projects for the Scottish Government’s National Retrofit Programme.
This will help to reduce household heating bills, provide opportunities for local businesses and drive down the number of people in fuel poverty as well as supporting up to 70 jobs across Scotland.
Local authorities and registered social landlords will work in partnership with energy companies to deliver the programme, specifically targeting areas where fuel poverty is a concern. This is an example of the funding available to landlords and home owners to improve housing stock.
Potential pilot projects will be discussed at a Scottish Government information session in Edinburgh on October 1.
The pilots will aim to continue and expand the work already under way with support from the energy companies under the current CESP scheme and will build momentum in the transition to the new energy company obligation being launched shortly by the UK Government.
Housing Minister Margaret Burgess, who today announced that an initial £3m will be used to get the Programme underway in several pilot areas, said: ‘People living in older, colder homes often struggle to pay their heating bills. We are determined to help them as much as we possibly can. Scotland is an energy rich nation, and everyone should live in warm, comfortable homes. We expect that 80% of homes will still be lived in in 2050, so improving the energy efficiency of our older houses is vital if we are to assist those households struggling to heat their homes, particularly over the winter months.’
‘This £3 million will enable us to focus on plans for next years National Retrofit Programme to transform older, colder houses into environmentally friendly homes which are easier and cheaper to heat. We expect that this funding will also help lever in significant additional funding from energy companies and other partners. Not only will it help people facing fuel poverty, it will boost local economies, support jobs and contribute to tackling climate change by reducing carbon emissions from our houses.’
Scottish Government News: LINK
