Figures published today by the Energy Saving Trust indicate that the Scottish Government is making significant progress on insulating Scottish homes and helping to protect hard-pressed families from rising energy price rises.

The Estimates of Home Insulation Levels in Great Britain is captured from data gathered under the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) scheme, an obligation placed on gas and electricity suppliers.

The data shows that the proportion of the reported professional cavity wall and loft insulation measures installed in Scotland as a result of CERT compared to Great Britain as a whole has increased across the first 3 years, from 6.6 per cent in 2008-09 to 10.8 per cent in 2010-11 and remained at 10.8 per cent for the first half of 2011-12.

-- Advertisement --

In Scotland households have received over 327,400 free or subsidised professionally installed cavity wall or loft insulation measures from April 2008 to September 2011. More than 1 in every 10 homes have received support.

Commenting on the publication Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment said: "Scotland is an energy rich nation and no-one should have to choose between heating and eating and that’s why we will continue to do all we can to tackle rising energy prices and help customers struggling with their energy bills.

"The Scottish Government offers a raft of measures to support families most in need. Free advice and support is available through the Home Energy Scotland Hotline, which is simple step people can take towards keeping their homes warmer and energy bills down.

"We have been working hard to ensure we maximise the level of Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) investment by energy suppliers. Around 30% of all CERT funded loft and cavity insulation are carried out though the Scottish Government’s Universal Home Insulation Scheme - this significantly boosts the number of Scottish households that get help."

The Scottish Government funding for Fuel Poverty and energy efficiency programmes tops £57.5 million over 2011-12 and next year that figure rises to £65 million. These actions, at a time of substantial cuts to Scottish Government funding by the UK Coalition government, contrast starkly with the dramatic reductions in the Warm Front programme in England.

(GK)