Around 90,000 houses will be offered energy efficiency measures thanks to a scheme backed by national and local Government.

The Home Insulation Scheme will operate in selected areas across Scotland, and is expected to create or sustain up to 900 jobs.

It is backed in the first year by £15m from the Scottish Government. Match funding will be sought from local authorities, housing associations and energy companies.

It will improve the energy efficiency of houses through an intensive area based approach to promoting and installing insulation and other energy saving measures.

The Energy Savings Trust has been appointed to act as managing agents for the scheme.

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Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil said: "This Government is doing all it can to insulate Scotland's communities from the misery of living in homes that haemorrhage heat.

"We are ploughing record amounts of funding into energy efficiency measures, now dwarfing previous fuel poverty budgets. The Home Insulation Scheme will be underpinned by £15m of Scottish Government money, complementing the new 60 million pound Energy Assistance Package."

Cllr Harry McGuigan, COSLA's spokesperson for Community Wellbeing and Safety, said: "Local government is committed to improving the housing stock conditions in all housing sectors, and the Area Based Insulation Scheme is an initiative that will assist councils who are working hard to address fuel poverty and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Mike Thornton, Head of Energy Saving Trust Scotland, said this is an "important initiative" in pointing the way ahead for the delivery of energy efficiency measures on a large scale.

"We are very pleased to have been asked by the Scottish Government to take it forward," he added

An Area Based Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) was announced in the Scottish Government's Budget on 4 February, 2009.

(GK/JM)