A cash boost will extend a scheme which is already helping 200,000 homes beat fuel poverty this winter.

Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, has announced an extra £400,000 for the Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) loan fund, which offers interest free loans in UHIS areas for more expensive insulation measures including renewables and boiler replacement to improve energy efficiency.

This tops up the £12.5 million which was ploughed into the scheme by the Scottish Government in September.

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Addressing the Energy Action Scotland Conference in Clydebank, Mr Neil said: "This funding injection allows us to continue the great work being done through UHIS and widen our measures to try to keep families from falling into fuel poverty.

"It is a disgrace that anyone should suffer from fuel poverty in an energy rich nation like Scotland. Price hikes by energy companies continue to undermine the Scottish Government's attempts to lift people out of fuel poverty.

"We continue to do everything we can with the powers available to us to invest in efficient schemes like UHIS and strive to end this blight."

Fuel poverty is defined as spending 10% or more of household income on domestic fuel bills.

The UHIS loan fund is administered by the Energy Saving Trust.

(GK)