Orkney Islands Council has welcomed a substantial £1.75 million allocation from the Scottish Government's Heat and Energy Efficient Scotland (HEES) scheme for the 2025-26 period. This funding is set to facilitate significant improvements to heating and insulation in homes across the county, aiding even more residents in making their properties more energy efficient.

Since 2015-16, the HEES: Area Based Scheme (HEES: ABS) and similar government initiatives have already supported nearly 1,300 households in Orkney with energy-saving installations, primarily focusing on insulation. The 2024-25 project year saw just under £1.5m delivered for 146 energy efficiency measures across 106 homes, with an initial allocation boosted by an additional £300,000 following strong demand.

For the upcoming year, the £1.75m award, which is £500,000 above the county's default funding amount, is projected to deliver 189 measures to 159 households. The allocation of this funding and the subsequent installation of measures are managed by Warmworks on behalf of Orkney Islands Council, with Warmworks actively engaging local contractors to carry out the necessary works.

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Gwenda Shearer, Chair of the Council's Education, Leisure and Housing committee, expressed delight at the news: "The team here at the Council and at Warmworks worked very hard over the past year to demonstrate to the Scottish Government the improvements to private sector homes and the increases in energy efficiency we can deliver, given the resources to do so. This return to a higher level of funding means we can really focus on tackling the backlog of households waiting for funding."

The HEES: ABS scheme is accessible to homeowners, private sector tenants, and landlords. Eligible households can receive funding for a range of improvements, including loft insulation, internal and external wall insulation, underfloor insulation, and high heat retention storage heaters.

Ross Armstrong, Chief Executive of Warmworks, highlighted the practical benefits: "It's fantastic to see a return to a higher level of funding allocated to the Council and we're looking forward to getting on with the job of translating that into warmer, more energy efficient homes for local people. We know people remain concerned about home heating costs, and our aim is to help them manage these costs by improving the energy efficiency of their homes."

Householders in Orkney are encouraged to contact Warmworks directly to ascertain their eligibility for funding and to explore the available options for making their homes warmer and more energy efficient.