Scottish households at risk of fuel poverty are set to benefit from increased investment from the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme.
Warmer Homes Scotland has announced it will invest at least £38 million (€46.86 million) in funding for upgraded central heating and improved energy efficiency for vulnerable and low income homeowners and private sector tenants over the next two years. The investment will be delivered through Warmworks, a managing agent which works in partnership with the Scottish government to implement the Warmer Homes scheme. The initiative, which was first launched in 2015, recently served its 15,000th customer and has been extended until 2022.
In addition to providing new, energy efficient central heating systems to eligible households, Warmer Homes Scotland is able to provide renewable energy technologies, draught prevention and wall and loft insulation in order to minimise heat loss and reduce the energy bills of lower income Scottish families. The scheme saves its customers an average of £300 (€346.23) per year: since its inception, 93 per cent of qualifying applicants have received heating upgrades at no charge, most of which would see a market value of more than £4,000 (€4,616.87). Homes which have received upgrades under the scheme have seen their energy efficiency rating rise by an average of 20 per cent.
Housing minister Kevin Stewart said: “I welcome the contract extension with Warmworks to continue our work to eradicate fuel poverty. This funding will have a huge impact for people seeking to make essential improvements to the energy efficiency of their home. We [the Scottish government] have taken a world leading approach to tackling fuel poverty with the introduction of the Fuel Poverty Bill and setting an ambitious target that, by 2040, no more than five per cent of Scottish households are in fuel poverty. I’m delighted to see for myself the excellent work being done in homes across Scotland, making them warmer and more affordable to heat.”
