Extra funding announced for energy efficiency programme

A SCOTTISH Government fund to improve the energy efficiency of already-existing buildings has received a boost on last year’s support levels.

A £64 million fund for the government’s so-called ‘Area Based Scheme’ for 2021/22 is up £9m on the previous year.

The fund has been set up to address fuel poverty (when households pay a ‘disproportionate’ amount of their income on heating their homes), as well as helping tackle the climate change crisis.

Says a Scottish Government announcement, here: “The work forms part of a £1.6 billion investment over the next five years to transform the heat and energy efficiency of buildings.

“The Scottish Government’s draft Heat in Buildings strategy sets out a vision for more than one million homes to be using low and zero emissions heating systems by 2030.

“ABS projects have helped deliver energy efficiency improvements to more than 100,000 homes since the programme launched in 2013. That has generated cumulative savings for household fuel bills worth over £900 million while reducing CO2 emissions by over 3.4 million tonnes.

“Local ABS projects plan to install low and zero emissions heating systems in more than 500 homes this year, as well as insulation and other improvements such as solar panels and battery storage.”

Picture credit: Place Design Scotland