Orkney Islands Council is to receive substantial funding to help make homes in the area more energy efficient.

It is now inviting representatives from the building trade to look at the role they can play in the scheme. The Council is expected to receive around £700k in funding from the Government and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

The Scottish Government's 'Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland' funding will help to pay for the installation of home energy efficiency measures up to March 2014. However, it is likely that further funding will become available in subsequent years.

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ECO funding comes from utility companies, via Ofgem, through their carbon reduction targets.

Frances Troup, Head of Housing and Homelessness, explained: "The new Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland, which replaces the Universal Home Insulation Scheme, is a key element in the Scottish Government's Sustainable Housing Strategy.

"Householders will be able to apply, via the Energy Saving Scotland advice centre (ESSac), for funding from these sources to make their homes more energy efficient. This could be through a range of measures such as solid wall insulation and boiler upgrades.

"This represents a significant amount of potential work to be carried out in Orkney in this and the coming financial years, and we'd like to make best use of this funding opportunity by getting the building trade involved at this early stage in preparation for the work that will take place over the coming years."

Contractors and surveyors are being invited to an event at the Pickaquoy Centre on 17 May regarding the scheme.

(JP/CD)