Efforts to tackle fuel poverty in Perth and Kinross have taken a massive step forward.
A multi-million-pound scheme to make homes more energy efficient has been unveiled in Perth.
A total of 159 properties in the Hillyland area of the city will receive home insulation as part of works being carried out by the local authority in partnership with SSE.
The work will be funded by the new national Home Energy Efficiency Scotland Area Based Schemes (HEEPS-ABS) programme from the Scottish Government.
This makes money available to councils to carry out improvements on properties within their area, and one of the key elements is to source supplementary funding from energy companies, known as Energy Company Obligation (ECO).
Following months of negotiations, Perth and Kinross Council secured a £1.1m grant from SSE to fit external insulation and rendering to 159 concrete houses, benefiting 119 council tenants and 40 owner-occupiers.
The Scottish Government contributed a further £1.2m under the HEEPS-ABS initiative and some of this will be used for the Hillyland scheme, with the rest going towards providing free or subsidised energy efficiency measures for other householders across Perth and Kinross.
Housing and health convener Dave Doogan said he was “delighted” the funding would help local residents.
“We submitted an in-depth proposal for how we would use HEEPS-ABS funding to the Scottish Government and were delighted when it was approved,” he added.
“I believe that our preparation and detailed programme has helped us to gain a bigger share of funding than we might have otherwise received and I’m delighted our approach in this area will directly benefit residents in Hillyland.
“This scheme is something that will be especially welcome in the current economic climate. It will provide people with warm homes, helping them to save money on heating and reduce their carbon footprint.
“The work will also improve the visual aspect of the buildings and so will benefit the wider community.”
Work on the project began recently and a site inspection was carried out by Mr Doogan and council leader Ian Miller.
They were joined by representatives from SSE.
Mr Miller reaffirmed the local authority’s commitment to helping residents overcome fuel poverty and said that it would continue to help those who are experiencing hardship through “excessive” energy costs.
He said: “Living in a warm home is vital for the health and wellbeing of everyone and is a basic human requirement. We are eager to help anyone who needs our assistance and we hope to use the HEEP-ABS scheme to assist people living in other areas in the future.”
The scheme will also be rolled out to include timber-framed houses in North Muirton later this year under a separate funding package, again with a contribution from SSE.
Area development manager for the Perth energy giant, Dave McElvoy, said the firm is planning to continue to deliver “significant investment” to the city.
He said: “Already the next stage of works are at the planning stage and many council residents and private home owners will be contacted in the next few weeks and months to offer them similar upgrades of their properties.
“We are really pleased to improve local homes to a higher standard of energy efficiency. Bringing this work into the city of Perth, the home of SSE, is a real win for everyone all round.”