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The Scottish Government and SSE has announced a £3.5m fund to provide energy efficiency measures to people living off the gas grid.
The fund will help around 1,000 households in a number of areas in Scotland with new energy efficient heating systems and insulation. SSE has said a particular focus is being made on those properties that rely on electricity as their sole form of heating, and are at a higher risk of fuel poverty.
Among the energy measures available are new electric storage heaters, oil and LPG boilers, as well as loft and cavity wall insulation.
The scheme is available to homeowners or tenants who live in privately-rented accommodation, and are in receipt of certain benefits located in the 12 authority areas included under the funding.
Steve Storey, Head of Energy Services at SSE, commented: "This additional funding from the Scottish Government will help us roll out further energy efficiency measures to homes in need of help across Scotland.
"We'll be working hard with local authorities to target vulnerable households that can benefit from the new funding as many people feel that the free support available can be too good to be true and therefore miss out.
"The reality is that there are homes across Scotland which are poorly insulated or have inefficient heating systems and both the Scottish Government and SSE can provide help with these free measures to help those most in need to reduce energy use and heating bills."
Housing Minister Margaret Burgess added: "Rising energy bills remain a huge concern for the Scottish Government and fuel poverty is still a major issue in Scotland, with over 27% of households affected.
"That's why we are investing in the Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland which help people who may be struggling to cope with high energy bills. The schemes can improve the energy efficiency of homes, help households stay warm and reduce their bills."
The £3.5m is made up of £2.3m from the Scottish Government's Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland (HEEPS) and £1.2m from SSE Scottish Hydro under its Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
(JP/IT)
