An additional £4m has been made available to help deliver Scotland's low carbon targets and support the development of the country's district heating networks.

Heat sources in use for the district heating systems can include geothermal heat and solar heat, for example.

The investment, announced by Energy Minister Fergus Ewing, will take funding for the scheme in the next two years to £10.5m and will also help to reduce pressure on household energy bills, and maximise opportunities to the industry through infrastructure developments. Minister Ewing said: "Scotland is an energy rich nation where heat accounts for over half of all energy we use, with an estimated £2.6 billion a year being spent on heating and cooling in Scotland.

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"We have set a target of 40,000 homes to be supplied with affordable warmth and low carbon heat through district heating by 2020. A heat system driven by the need for affordable warmth for our households and resilient heat supply, with a competitive business and industry base, which addresses climate change, and offers the potential for the low carbon economic opportunities supporting sustainable economic growth."

Mike Thornton, Chair, Expert Commission on District Heating and Head of Energy Saving Trust in Scotland, added: "The Expert Commission welcomes the publication of the HGPS, particularly the proposals for clear targets for district heating; such targets will help drive the step-change in the use of district heating which is needed to cut fuel bills and carbon emissions."

(JP)