30,000 Scottish households may receive energy efficiency help

The government is committing as much as £244m to help almost 30,000 families improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The aim is to help those Scottish people so they can save a substantial amount of money on their fuel bills and no longer be considered to be living in fuel poverty. The scheme will also provide the household with free advice from their own personal advocate.

The definition of fuel poverty is when a family spends 10 per cent or more of their income towards their utility bills. There are a few main reasons that threshold can be met by a family. It may be the person’s income is too low, their home is not efficient, or they use too much energy by turning their heat up to high. All of these issues will be addressed as part of the scheme.

There are different companies that will be offering this assistance on behalf of the government. They include Warmworks Scotland, Energy Saving Trust, Scottish SME Everwarm, and Changeworks. All of these providers will be partnering together to roll out this programme out across Scotland.

Services provided by fuel poverty scheme

The government expects that between 20,000 and 30,000 households will be able to benefit, with most projections at about 28,000. The £224m will be spent over the course of seven years. There are several different types of assistance that will be provided.

New heating systems or boilers will be added to a home. This will most likely be a brand new system for the property. But the staff from Warmworks will make this final decision or whether to give someone a new system or repair an existing one.

If the home is leaking air or breezy, then new insulation will be added to it. It can be floor, attic, or wall insulation. This can reduce drafts and can help keep the home warm during the cold winter months.

Advice is also available to the vulnerable as part of this fuel poverty scheme. There will be personal care given to the family to show them how to reduce energy usage. There are steps, such as the use of thermostats, that can reduce the usage of heat. Or they can learn about assistance programmes from ScottishPower or other providers. This is an important service for customers on a low income.

Any homes in Scotland that are off the grid may be eligible for biomass or solar thermal systems. This can be used instead of another type of heating system. The system will be installed for free using the money from the Scottish government.

The aim of the government spending this money is to help the low income and vulnerable save money. It will also help improve the lives of people such as seniors or the disabled by making their homes more comfortable to live in. Over time, as the fuel poverty scheme is rolled out, thousands of more people will be able to live a better life.