Thousands of Perth and Kinross households living in fuel poverty have benefited from a £28 million investment to make their homes cheaper to heat.
The council is to turn the heat up even further, too, after securing a further £2m funding boost from the Scottish Government and energy company SSE.
The extra cash will see external wall insulation applied to 335 “hard to heat” houses across Perthshire. In addition, a proposal is in place to offer a package of basic insulation measures to properties in council tax bands A-C.
More than 2,400 council houses have already received upgraded central heating systems, most including high-efficiency, gas-condensing combination boilers with high-output radiators and thermostatic controls.
A total of 175 houses not connected to the mains gas network have also been fitted with new heating systems, containing technologies such as solar water heating and air-sourced heat pumps.
Housing and health convener Dave Doogan, said: “The work we have undertaken with our partners has seen a dramatic change in people’s ability to heat their homes affordably and efficiently.
“Perth and Kinross Council officers have worked skilfully and strategically to attract many millions of pounds of investment from other sources and their grasp of this complex funding regime has resulted in unprecedented and very visible results across Perth and Kinross.”
Since July 2013, some 1,400 homes council-owned and privately-owned or rented in Craigie, Invergowrie, Friarton, and North Muirton have benefited from external wall insulation and new rendering. This improves the thermal performance of these houses, as well as updating their appearance.
New triple-glazed windows have been fitted in 291 homes, while the enclosure of communal stairways and landings in 764 houses has helped to reduce draughts and improve comfort levels in blocks of flats.
In Letham 134 flat-roofed houses have benefited from insulation upgrades as part of planned re-roofing works, while 1,178 council houses have been fitted with loft insulation and/or pipe and tank lagging.
Mr Doogan added: “The level of investment reflects our ambition, as both the council and a landlord, to improve the quality of both social and private housing in our communities.”