Householders are being urged to snap up grants for home renewables.

Government grants are available for 30 per cent of the cost, up to a maximum of £4,000, for heating technologies like wood fuel boilers, heat pumps or solar thermal water heating.

Due to unprecedented demand, people are being encouraged to apply for an Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant before the scheme ends.

Energy Minister Jim Mather said: "The Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant scheme has been extremely successful in helping householders to generate their own green energy, cut carbon and stimulate the market for small scale renewables technologies.

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"Since this Government trebled the budget for microgeneration in 2007, 2,900 householders have been helped to cut their fuel bills with Government grants worth around £7.4m. Those grants have brought a total investment of over £21m, a welcome boost for an embryonic, low carbon industry.

"The uptake of small scale renewables among householders is now unprecedented and the home renewables grants funding is facing pressure. The grants scheme will stay open to new applications until the remaining cash is allocated, which at the current rate I expect will be in around three weeks time. In an extremely tight financial climate we will now look to see what further support we can give to small scale renewables."

(GK)